Staff Reporter :
Bangladesh has started the process to import security scanning machine as per desire of the EU security regulation for excluding its name from high-risk countries for air cargo, sources said.
“The explosive security scanning machine will be installed within two months. During this period, the EU will allow BD’s cargo if it is checked by trained dog squad,” an official, who attended a meeting with EU Ambassador to Bangladesh Pierre Mayaudon, told The New Nation on Tuesday.
Pierre Mayaudon had a meeting with Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Air Vice-Marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury on Monday. During the meeting they discussed measures to ensure three security measures that Bangladesh urgently needs to resume the direct cargo services.
The measures include Explosives Detection Systems (EDS), Explosive Trace Detection (ETD) and hundred percent scanning of cargo with deployment of the dog squad. As the EU nations put the country’s name in a list of high-risk countries from June 1, the International Airlines Group (IAG) issued a notice to customers asking to add $0.10 security charge per kg or Tk 9 per kg for cargo originating from Bangladesh.
According to the sources, the red-category tag means less freighter capacity entering the EU countries as well as delayed transit time of two to three days due to additional screening of shipments. Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon on Tuesday also said the European Union has enlisted Bangladesh as a ‘high-risk’ country for operating cargo services by air and sea to its member countries.
He, however, said they did not impose any embargo on the cargo operation services or issued any letter to the government of Bangladesh in this regard.
Menon came up with the disclosure while talking to journalists at his office in the capital.
He said EU Ambassador Pierre Mayaudon had a meeting with chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) Air Vice-Marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury on Monday and they discussed measures to ensure three security measures that Bangladesh needs to resume the direct cargo services. The measures, he said, include Explosives Detection Systems (EDS), Explosive trace detection (ETD) and hundred percent scanning of cargo, including employing the dog squad.
“We’ve already bought EDS machines. A team will visit the USA on June 19 to inspect the systems. It’ll be installed by the end of July or in the first week of August,” he said.
“Installing ETD will take some time but we’ve introduced the hundred per cent scanning system. We’ve also been using the dog squad of Rab and BGB in this regard,” he added.
By the time, Bangladesh will have to use a third country to scan cargo to be sent to the EU countries, Menon added.
In response to a question, Menon said this ban is not on Biman services but on Bangladesh as a whole.
Replying to another question, the minister said Bangladesh will not take any position over severing ties with Qatar by seven Gulf countries.
FBCCI President Shafiul Islam Mohiuddin told reporters last night that to overcome the ban decision businesses will work with the government by improving security checking of air cargos. BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman told The New Nation last night that there is no doubt that export will be affected following the ban as a good number of garment products go to the EU countries.
He, however, said the government has taken various initiates to overcome the situation and hope a good shine for exporters.
