Staff Reporter:
The responsibility for maintaining security inside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka is being handed over to the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), while members of the Air Force task force will return to their barracks, as per a decision of the Chief Adviser’s Office.
The move comes after year-long disputes between APBn and Aviation Security (AvSec).
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) recently wrote to the inspector general of police requesting the withdrawal of the additional DIG from the airport, which intensified tensions. Following a review of the situation, the government decided to deploy APBn inside the airport.
At a meeting at the Chief Adviser’s Office on Wednesday (18 September), six decisions were adopted, including the immediate deployment of APBn and the withdrawal of the Air Force task force once its duties are completed.
The meeting was chaired by Lutfey Siddiqi, special assistant to the Chief Adviser on international affairs, and attended by Inspector General of Police Baharul Alam, among others.
The conflict between the forces dates back to August, after the mass uprising that led to the sudden withdrawal of nearly 1,000 Ansar members from airport duties in what became known as the “Ansar rebellion.” The Air Force was then deployed to fill the security vacuum, while APBn members were prevented from serving inside the airport.
In late October, APBn alleged that AvSec personnel had removed furniture from its office inside the terminal, prompting the battalion to file a general diary with the airport police station. The issue escalated amid further complaints of passenger harassment by Air Force members, which drew public criticism. AvSec, in turn, accused APBn officials of leaking video footage of such incidents to the media. Last week, CAAB’s member (security), Air Commodore Asif Iqbal, also accused the APBn commander of breaching protocol during a meeting.
At Wednesday’s meeting, Lutfey Siddiqi stressed the need for professionalism and inter-agency cooperation at the airport. “We must demonstrate professionalism and respect in our words and actions,” he said.
IGP Baharul Alam added, “The main task of the police at the airport is crime prevention and detection. Legally, no other agency can perform these functions.”
The six decisions made at the meeting are:
All agencies will operate under the sole authority of CAAB to ensure unified command and control.
APBn and AvSec will perform duties under CAAB’s authority.
APBn will begin operations inside the terminal building immediately.
The IGP and CAAB chairman will hold regular meetings to address operational challenges.
The Air Force task force will return to its parent force after completing its duties.
Weekly security meetings will be held at all airports.
