Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today said experts from four countries have been invited to conduct an investigation into the fire at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's cargo village.

Asked if there was any mismanagement during the operation, the home adviser said, "If there was any, we are inviting experts from four countries -- the UK, Australia, China, and Turkey -- to conduct an investigation. They will determine the cause of the fire and find out if anyone was responsible."

Speaking to journalists after inspecting the cargo village and the airport's e-gate area today, the home adviser defended the airport authorities and the Fire Service and Civil Defence, saying both responded promptly and worked together to bring the blaze under control.

He told reporters that the fire at airport's cargo village spread quickly because of the presence of chemical and garment materials in the facility.

"It's not that the operation failed. If the fire had not been extinguished, it would have spread everywhere. They managed to contain it in time," Jahangir said, responding to a reporter's question about the alleged failure of the fire service and airport authorities in tackling the blaze.

The fire, which broke out around 2:30pm on October 18, raged for nearly 26 hours before it was fully extinguished at 4:55pm on October 19.

The fire began near Gate No 8 of the import cargo complex and quickly engulfed warehouses packed with imported chemicals, electronics, pharmaceuticals, and garments.

Thirty-seven fire engines from 13 fire stations, joined by the air force, navy, army, Civil Aviation Authority, Border Guard Bangladesh, and police, worked to control the blaze.

Jahangir said, "The airport authorities has four fire units. They reached the spot within 30 seconds. Fire service units from other areas also arrived within the next 15 to 20 minutes. The fire spread fast because there were some chemical substances and garment materials, which made it difficult to control immediately."

Responding to another question, Jahangir said, "The airport has all necessary firefighting equipment. The units on duty responded as per protocol. But sometimes, due to the nature of the materials and environmental conditions such as wind, it takes more time to douse the flames."

At the briefing, while speaking about the services for migrant workers, the adviser mentioned that discussions are underway to reduce the costs of obtaining passports from abroad and making the process more efficient.

Jahangir added that efforts are being made to address issues faced by expatriates, particularly those who pay higher fees for passport services abroad.