Department for Transport (DfT) of United Kingdom (UK) has categorised the security system of the country’s main international gateway Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as A Plus. A team of UK representatives had visited the HSIA to monitor the overall security systems last week. During their three-day visit to the country, they said, on Thursday, the overall security system of the airport has become much better than before.
The representative team especially expressed satisfaction regarding cargo operation, security and management. They will inform the Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) officially after they return to their country. But the visiting team has obligation against two extra luggage at a London bound flight. Biman Bangladesh Airlines source informed that, during the representative team audit at the airport, they visited a London bound flight of the Biman at the airport where they found these luggage.
‘As per the document there should be 611 luggage in the flight but the DfT representative team found 613 luggage inside the flight, later they informed the authority about the luggage’- the sources said. But Biman’s general manager Tahera Khondaker said, the authority resolved the additional luggage issue on the same day.
Airport source said, DfT started their audit activity on Tuesday last, in the audit team there were two DfT members alone with a UK high commission member. On that day, they started their activity at cargo area of the airport. On Thursday, evaluating overall security of the airport they announced that the airport security is now rated A plus category.
The source further said, the representative was monitoring the overall security system of the airport as per their prior schedule. They have visited the entrance of the airport terminal, scanner system, check in counter, apron, cargo and even the boundary area of the airport. They rushed where ever they suspected. CAAB officials wanted to know from them if there was any lacking in the airport security system. They responded positively to their query.
In DfT’s comment, the airport passed the security system in their primary investigation. Quoting the visiting representative of DfT as saying, HSIA director Group Capt Abu Sayeed Mehboob Khan told Bangladesh Post that HISA has achieved tremendous success in terms of security. “At present the overall security of the airport is much better comparing to some other international airport. Finally, it can be stated that we have been able to achieve the international compliant standard for our airport security,” he added.
It is to be noted, after several observations of UK representatives; the UK’s department of transport imposed 10 new conditions on ending the ban on cargo flights from Dhaka-London at the end of 2017. A three-member team of UK representatives had visited the HSIA to monitor the overall security systems on November 2017. Later, on November 27 in the same year, the civil aviation minister also met the UK DFT. The UK imposed restrictions on cargo haulage directly from the airport in March 2016 and to Germany in June 2017.