Flights at Bangladesh’s main airport halted by major fire

Both domestic and international flights are affected

Onlookers gather as firefighters try to extinguish a fire that broke out in the cargo section of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka (AFP/Getty)

Flights out of Bangladesh's main airport have been halted after a significant fire erupted in the cargo terminal, officials have confirmed.

Thirty-six firefighting units were battling the blaze on Saturday, Talha Bin Zasim, an officer at the Fire Service and Civil Defence Media Cell, said.

Operations at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have been suspended, airport official Masudul Hasan said, adding that all aircraft are safe.

The cause of the fire remains unknown.

Both domestic and international flights have been affected.

An IndiGo flight from Delhi to Dhaka was diverted to Kolkata, and an Air Arabia flight from Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates was sent on to Chittagong.

A plane sits on the tarmac as firefighters battle the blaze (AFP/Getty)

Meanwhile, a Cathay Pacific flight from Hong Kong was seen circling in the sky after failing to land at Dhaka airport, officials said.

The army, navy, and air force joined the fire service in efforts to bring the blaze under control.

This is the third major fire reported in Bangladesh this week.

A fire on Tuesday at a garment factory in Bangladesh and an adjacent chemical warehouse killed at least 16 people and injured others.

On Thursday, another fire burned down a garment factory building in an export processing zone in Chittagong.