Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir on Thursday underscored the need to keep customs and related services operational during weekly holidays and establish a separate cargo village outside the airport to address the persistent cargo congestion at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).

"Cargo volumes at the airport are not decreasing because operations remain limited on Fridays and Saturdays. Until permanent infrastructure is developed, customs and other related services should remain operational during holidays," he said.

The minister made the remarks while speaking at a meeting held at the Ministry of Commerce on the airport's cargo handling crisis and ways to resolve it.

The meeting reviewed non-tariff barriers raised by the European Union (EU) in the context of promoting trade and investment between Bangladesh and the EU.

The minister noted that an airport is a transit point for goods rather than a storage facility.

However, he said, prolonged stays of cargo at the airport have created serious congestion, affecting trade and logistics activities.

To address the issue, he stressed the importance of establishing a modern and secure cargo village outside the airport.

"We must plan for the next decade. Separate arrangements should be developed for hazardous and non-hazardous cargo, as well as fast-moving and slow-moving goods, to ensure efficient and internationally compliant cargo management," he said.

The meeting was informed that although almost the same volume of cargo arriving daily is being cleared, the large backlog accumulated earlier remains largely unchanged.

Stakeholders identified limited operations during weekly holidays as one of the key reasons behind the slow reduction of the backlog.

The commerce minister said all stakeholders were showing a positive attitude towards resolving the problem, so both short-term and long-term solutions were being pursued.

Another meeting will be held next week to review progress and determine further actions, he added.

He said the experience of cargo clearance at the airport forms the first impression of Bangladesh for foreign buyers and investors and stressed that such an experience should not be negative.

At the meeting, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said the cargo congestion was not only causing losses to businesses but also affecting Bangladesh's image abroad.

Calling for visible progress within the next seven days, she warned that the situation posed safety risks and urged all concerned agencies to take immediate steps to reduce congestion and restore normal airport operations.

She suggested that the pressure on cargo facilities could be reduced through the quick disposal of detained and confiscated goods and by creating alternative storage arrangements.

Addressing business leaders, she urged them to resolve concerns through dialogue rather than resorting to threats or work stoppages, reaffirming the government's commitment to improving the business environment and protecting commercial interests.

Participants observed that modernising airport cargo management, expediting cargo clearance and ensuring international-standard logistics services would further strengthen Bangladesh's export competitiveness in global markets, including the European Union.

Commerce Secretary Ataur Rahman Khan chaired the meeting attended by representatives of relevant government agencies, business associations, cargo operators and customs authorities.