An organised syndicate led by Armed Police Battalion (APBn) is allegedly humiliating, harassing, and assaulting expatriate passengers every day at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram.
Members of APBn, drivers, and outsiders led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Razib assaulted an expatriate passenger on November 27 as he (passenger) refused to pay tips. Earlier, a video of assaulting an expatriate passenger by some members of APBn at Shah Amanat International Airport also went viral on social media platform Facebook. Apart from Shah Amanat International Airport, passengers’ suffering at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) also mounts as anarchy and mismanagement continue there since the introduction of an eight-hour daily closure of the lone runway for renovations. As a result, thousands of incoming and outgoing passengers are facing serious difficulties every day in and outside the international airport.
As the passengers of several flights are getting off at the same time, it has become very difficult for the authorities to manage everything properly. Earlier the airport authorities assured taking of all necessary measures so that no incoming or outgoing passenger would face any harassment and humiliation. But the fact is that the authorities have not taken any effective step yet to reduce passengers’ sufferings. They have not increased the number of check-in counters, boarding bridges, security check-in counters, baggage loading and unloading bays.
Authorities have not taken
any effective step yet to reduce
passengers’ sufferings
Besides, other related facilities have also not been ensured to maintain the new schedule. Apart from these, most of the flights are being delayed while some flights are hovering in the sky without getting the green signal for landing. We have noticed that the incoming passengers after their long journey are feeling tired and suffering from jet lag. And when they need to stand in long queues and carry their luggage themselves due to lack of trolley, the situation becomes terrible.
Apart from incoming passengers, the outgoing passengers have also become the worst victims of unprofessional attitude of airport officials. The authorities must take stern action if anyone found guilty in humiliating, harassing and assaulting any incoming or outgoing passenger. Besides, deployment of police officers at every immigration counter will also have to be ensured so that passengers do not need to wait in a long queue to pass the airport’s passport control. The airport authority will have to make sure that arrival passengers will be getting their baggage within the fastest possible time. There should be no compromise with the mismanagement at any international or domestic airport in the country as they are related to the country’s image and those who try to create chaos will have to face consequences. We hope that the passengers will get better service as early as possible.