Home
+
Authorities are looking for those who informed law enforcers of the threats. Those who threatened the airport may face up to life in prison as per the law
Published : 23 Jan 2025, 10:44 AM
The second threat made at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in a day has proven to be a hoax after a security check found nothing untoward.
The airport is continuing its regular activities, but security has been beefed up. In addition, the authorities are looking for the “informants” who informed them about the threats.
However, the threats have increased the workload for the agencies working at the airport. The security check that has to be conducted in such cases is quite labourious and time consuming.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, or CAAB, Chairman Air Vice Marshal Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan said: "We must run a security check in case of any threat received. It's protocol."
"We are looking for those who sent in the tip. It's possible for anyone in Bangladesh to use a Pakistani WhatsApp number. However, the law in Bangladesh has a provision that can punish those making threats with up to life in prison," he said.
Previously, the airport had been on alert after the Armed Police Battalion, or APBn, duty officer received a text message on WhatsApp at 4:37am on Wednesday from a Pakistani number.
The message claimed there were 34 kg of high-powered explosives aboard Biman’s flight BG-536 from Rome to Dhaka.
The flight landed amid preparation for safety check and it was checked thoroughly. Nothing was found.
Shortly afterwards, another message was received on the APBn duty officer's phone regarding a possible threat from an unknown Malaysian phone number. The message showed the photo of a piece of luggage that stated it could contain explosives. Then the airport authority ran another round of security checks as per protocol.
Later on Thursday morning, Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam, executive director of the Dhaka airport, said that nothing was found following the check. Around 2:30am, the security check was called off.
HOW THE SECURITY CHECK WAS DONE
After the Biman flight from Rome landed at 9:20am on Wednesday, it was parked in an open place near the third terminal, an airport official said. This was to ensure that the main airport activities remained unaffected. The passengers were not told anything before the plane landed.
After landing, they were asked to disembark with just their boarding passes and leave the hand luggages in the cabin. The passengers were taken to the terminal on buses and Biman provided them with food, beverages, and other services there.
Many passengers had left their passports and mobile phones inside the plane, leaving the cabin in disarray. The authorities brought in hundreds of big polythene bags. Each piece of luggage was checked and then packed in polythene bags with seat numbers noted on them and put back on the seats, the officer said.
"Passengers from Europe carry a lot of things in their hand carriers. We were careful so that no one loses their belongings. No one should say they lost their mobile phone or something else."
Subsequently, the authorities unloaded the pallets from the aircraft’s cargo hold one by one. Meanwhile, the police dog squad was brought in. The bags were laid out in a row. First, they were scanned with the scanner owned by the Bomb Disposal Unit of police. Then the dogs sniffed them. Some bags were opened for checks, while some went through X-ray.
Around 1:30pm, the authorities declared that the “threat was clear” after nothing was found in the security check. The passengers were taken to the plane in groups of 20-30 and asked to collect their belongings. Then they left for their destinations.
In addition to the agencies working at the airport, members of the police, Rapid Action Battalion took part in the search. The CAAB chief said, “Members of all relevant agencies, including the Air Force, police, RAB [Rapid Action Battalion], and Ansar, participated in this operation. Police dogs were also deployed to assist in the search."
