Improving the security arrangement without affecting the business is proving to be a rather difficult task to handle for the authorities at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, who have come under criticism from the garment manufacturers.
The garment businessmen are allegedly incurring losses due to the new system that has been put in place to tighten the security, aggravated further by the alleged shortage of scanning equipment.
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“More than 300 tonnes of goods are backlogged every day due to the delay in screening at the airport,” rued President of Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) Siddiqur Rahman, whose views were backed by other garment exporters, one of whom went on to maintain, “Cargo screening has slowed with the implementation of the new scanning system…The screening capacity has been cut by half due to the new measures and implementation of new rules at the airport.”
After meeting the Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon in this regard, Rahman underlined, “I suggested the government to purchase two more scanning machines immediately to reduce the pressure,” adding, “Currently there are four machines installed at the airport to screen export goods. Of the four, two have been designated for perishable goods, which reduced the apparel screening capacity even further.”
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It may be mentioned here that the improved security arrangements have been put in place in the backdrop of the recent ban imposed by UK on direct air cargo from Dhaka until further notice, as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport failed to meet certain international security requirements.
