The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is finally going to form a specialised force for protecting all the international and domestic airports across the country.
Naming it Bangladesh Airport Security Force, the CAAB has sent a proposal to the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in this regard where it sought around 10,000 personnel for the organisation, including 7,000 Air Force members and 3,000 civilians.
CAAB Member (Operations & Planning) Air Commodore Abu Sayeed Mehboob Khan admitting the fact said the process is undergoing.
“I have heard the matter. Maybe I know more than what you know in this regard. But it is not my responsibility to share details with the media,” he told the media.
He also advised to contact CAAB Member (Security) Air Commodore Mohammad Nayeemuzzaman Khan.
When contacted, Nayeemuzzaman Khan didn’t want to make any comment in this regard.
Officials of CAAB, however, have given some ideas regarding their plan.
“The very own organisation of the CAAB will be equipped with state-of-the-art training and certified by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). They will perform duties at the important access points of all airports in the country,” a senior official of the CAAB told the media, requesting not to be named.
He said the new arrangement will create no problem for other organisations, including the Armed Police Battalion, working at the airports.
According to sources, CAAB has long been trying to form such an organisation. It first tried to deploy 100 members of the Bangladesh Airport Security Force on a pilot basis in 2016. Things advanced a bit but later the plan was revoked due to some unknown reasons.
Now the work has begun to give that unfulfilled plan a complete shape. Bangladesh Airport Security Force will work in all domestic airports including the three international airports of the country. This organisation under the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism will be under the sole supervision of the CAAB chairman.
As per the letter sent by the CAAB to the ministry, the number of members in the Bangladesh Airport Security Force will be 10,632 people. And it will be led by a director general who will rank equal to an air vice marshal or air commodore.
There will also be 4 additional director generals in this director general’s office. They will be of the rank of Air Commodore or Group Captain along with three directors who will be of Wing Commander rank.
There will also be 4 additional director generals in the director general’s office. They will be of the rank of air commodore or group captain along with three directors who will be of wing commander rank.
Out of the total manpower, 5,167 people will perform duties at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and 2,877, including 959 people each at Osmani International Airport, Sylhet, Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram and Cox’s Bazar airports.
With 560 in each, some 2,240 members will be deployed at the four domestic airports Jashore, Rajshahi, Barishal and Syedpur.
A senior official said CAAB proposed to make recruitments in three phases. Some 3,894 members will be recruited in the first phase, 3,407 in the second phase and 3,331 people in the third phase.
The official said this is nothing new as many civil aviation authorities of the world have similar dedicated forces under them.
“They will work at the air site and other important areas. None of those who are currently working in other organisations will have any problem with this.”
The CAAB is going to implement this plan in such a situation when the Armed Police Battalion and Aviation Security (AVSEC) are having a tough time being engaged in conflicts.
AVSEC occupied the Armed Police Battalion office located in the apron area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on 28 October 2024. Later the Armed Police Battalion filed a general diary (GD) with the Airport Police Station in connection with the incident the next day.
Courtesy: Daily Sun.
Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan
