On Saturday 4 June 2022 a fire at BM Container Depot, Sitakunda, triggered large explosions, killing 41 people and injuring more than 200 (including 50 rescue officials).

Fire service official Monir Hossain said the depot had apparently ignored guidelines for storing chemicals. "We haven't found any basic fire safety measures ...There were simply some extinguishers. Nothing else," he said.

Ruhul Amin Sikder, secretary of the industry body Bangladesh Inland Container Depots Association (BICDA) said its facilities, including the BM Container Depot, regularly handled hydrogen peroxide without any incident. "As far as our information goes, BM depot followed the usual process of operation in handling hydrogen peroxide," he said. "...What we fail to comprehend is the magnitude of fire and explosions that we observed."

At the depot were about 800 containers filled with exportable items, some 85% of which were ready-made garments, Sikder said. Bangladesh is the world's second-biggest exporter of garments. Officials warned of the risk of further blasts if the flames spread to chemicals stored nearby.

The privately-owned Dutch-Bangladesh joint venture shipping facility has promised compensation of 1 million taka ($11,000) to the family of each worker killed in the fire.

The ILO said: "the incident underscores the need for an effective industrial and enterprise safety framework and enforcement and training system to ensure a structured approach to mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery to all hazards."

Asaduzzaman Khan, Bangladesh's home minister, announced an investigation has been launched into the cause of the fire and explosion. He said: "Those responsible for the accident will be brought to justice."