Dhaka, Oct. 19 -- A minor spark escalated into a catastrophic blaze, consuming most of the goods stored at Shahjalal International Airport's import cargo complex in Dhaka.

After burning fiercely for seven hours, 37 units of the Fire Service contained the flames. Yet by then, the bulk of imported cargo had been charred beyond.

Officials and stakeholders involved in cargo operations questioned why a fire at the nation's principal international airport could not be contained sooner, despite the prolonged burning and available firefighting resources.

As part of mandatory airport safety measures, Shahjalal airport conducts annual fire drills, using mock aircraft to simulate emergencies. The airport's own state-of-the-art fire units, includi...