The Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry Association

The Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Industry Association has said that raw materials worth over Tk 200 crore have been burnt in a massive fire at the cargo village of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. It has also been feared that the production of medicines worth around Tk 3,000 to 5,000 crore may be disrupted in the future due to the burning of these raw materials.

The Pharmaceutical Industry Association made this information at a press conference organized by the Exporters Association of Bangladesh (EAB) at the Sonargaon Hotel in the capital on Monday (October 20).

At the press conference, the association's Secretary General Md. Zakir Hossain said that as of 11 am, 32 leading companies in the country had given their initial estimates of their losses, in which information of raw materials worth over Tk 200 crore had been received.

He mentioned that out of a total of 307 pharmaceutical companies in Bangladesh, 250 are operational and the amount of losses will increase further if the remaining companies give their accounts.

Zakir Hossain said that the burning of raw materials worth Tk 200 crore could cause a major setback to the country's pharmaceutical production, which could disrupt the production of medicines worth Tk 3,000 to 5,000 crore. However, he also commented that there is no immediate possibility of any problem in the supply system.

EAB President Mohammad Hatem read out a written statement at the press conference. He claimed that the fire at Cargo Village caused a total loss of Tk 12,000 crore, both directly and indirectly.