Staff Reporter :
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon on Tuesday claimed that there was no security lapse at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).
“I think security at HSIA is very tight and very strict. We have reviewed the overall security of the airport at a meeting yesterday and found no lapse,” Rashed Khan Menon told reporters after the meeting at the airport.
Two days after the knife attack that killed an Ansar member and injured three others on Sunday, the minister held a meeting with senior CAAB officials and representatives of different law enforcement and intelligence agencies in the conference room of the airport.
He added the identity of attacker has not been confirmed yet. “Although the newspapers in their stories said the attacker is a worker of cleaning company, it has not been proved yet. We are expecting that it would be clear soon,” he said.
Replying to a query, Menon said police have been assigned to investigate the incident whether the knife attack was sabotage one.
To another query, he said the law enforcement agencies have been trying to unearth whether there was any militant connection with the attacker.
Sacrificing his own life, the security man had tried to provide security to passengers. “I can claim that the security arrangement at HSIA is good compared to other airports of 10 developed countries. Bangladesh is more conscious when it comes to security,” he said.
Menon said as the on duty security personnel swooped on Shihab, the attacker, he started stabbing them indiscriminately triggering concern among all about the airport security.
“As many passengers along with their relatives were gathering inside the lounge, it was not possible for the law enforcers to stop the attacker by firing. Yet, the law enforcers tried to shot at his leg. But it was a missed fire,” he said.
He said the members of law enforcement agencies, especially Ansar and Airport Armed Police (AAP), who were on duty during the time of incident, prevented the attacker risking their lives.
“I can assure people both at home and abroad that our law enforcement agencies have the capability to prevent any incident like Sunday’s one if anybody tries to attempt to do so in the future similar,” Menon said.
The minister also announced that the CAAB will provide Tk one lakh as financial assistance to the family of the slain Ansar member.
Memon also pledged to donate to the victim’s family Tk one lakh from his personal fund.
The meeting also decided that CAAB will bear the treatment expenses of the four injured.
Meanwhile, the British government is closely observing HSIA’s security, said British High Commissioner Alison Blake yesterday.
She made this remark after a meeting with Rashed Khan Menon at the Secretariat in city.
During the meeting Menon urged the United Kingdom (UK) to withdraw the temporary embargo imposed on direct air cargo transportation to the UK from Bangladesh.
The minister urged the British envoy to play a role in lifting the temporary embargo imposed by the British Transport Department earlier this year.
Menon said the necessary security measures have already been taken at the HSIA. Besides, the security arrangement at the airport has been upgraded to international level.
“A UK-based consultation farm-Red Line Securities has been working with the airport authority in Dhaka from March for overall improvement of security of the airport,” he said.
The envoy told the minister that the UK government is observing intently the changed security arrangement of the airport and foreign ministries of both the countries are working to this end too.
The UK envoy, however, assured the government that the embargo would be withdrawn in a short time.
In March this year, the UK banned air cargo directly from Dhaka as HSIA failed to meet some international security requirements.
“Airlines carrying cargo between Bangladesh and the UK on indirect routes are being asked to ensure it is re-screened before its final leg into the UK,” read s web post of the UK government.
Only the Biman Bangladesh Airlines carries cargo directly to the UK in its four weekly passenger flights but it remains completely stopped due to the ban, according to officials of the national flag carrier.
An average of 25 tonnes of cargo — mostly apparels, vegetables and agricultural products – used to be flown to the UK in each flight.
Aviation and Tourism Ministry Secretary Shawpan Kumar Sarker and additional secretary AHM Ziaul Haq were present at meeting.
