Security has been tightened at all airports across the country following the recovery of two grenades outside Rajshahi’s Shah Makhdum Airport and a series of crude bomb explosions near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The two grenades were found abandoned beside flower plants near the entrance to Shah Makhdum Airport on November 10, triggering panic among passengers and people in the surrounding areas. A bomb disposal unit later safely neutralised the devices.
According to police, a passerby spotted the two grenades on the left side of the airport entrance around 11am on Tuesday and informed Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Palash, who was on patrol duty with the Baya Police Outpost under the Airport Police Station.
Palash immediately alerted the officer-in-charge (OC) of the Airport Police Station.
Following the discovery, airport authorities and members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn), responsible for security at the entrance, closed the gate as a precautionary measure, triggering panic among passengers. An alternative entrance through the mosque gate was subsequently opened to facilitate passengers' entry and exit.
Police said three armed APBn members were deployed round the clock to guard the airport entrance. However, it was not immediately clear when or by whom the suspected grenades had been left there.
For security reasons, the grenade-like objects were moved from the airport vicinity to an open field in Pakuria area of Paba upazila, where the bomb disposal unit took necessary precautions and neutralised them.
Earlier, two consecutive crude bomb explosions were reported near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital. Miscreants also detonated six crude bombs at four other locations.
Airport Police Station OC Kamrul Hasan Talukder said the two crude bombs near the airport had been hurled from an elevated expressway. No one was injured in the incidents.
The latest incidents have raised concerns over security around the country's critical infrastructure, with even areas surrounding major airports coming under threat amid a series of sabotage attempts across the country.
The incidents have also raised questions about the message such security breaches could send to the international community. In response, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) headquarters has instructed all airports, including Shahjalal International Airport, to strengthen security measures.
A CAAB source said a group had been carrying out acts of sabotage, including crude bomb explosions and setting buses on fire, alongside ongoing garment workers' protests.
To prevent any security lapses or attempts to target airports, authorities have instructed security personnel to remain on maximum alert. Strict directives have also been issued for round-the-clock patrolling and heightened surveillance at airports and their surrounding areas.
CAAB Member (Security) Air Commodore Asif Iqbal told DhakaTribune that the crude bomb explosions near Shahjalal Airport and the recovery of grenades outside Shah Makhdum Airport had been taken seriously.
He said CAAB held a meeting following the crude bomb explosions near Shahjalal Airport and instructed the APBn and airport police to step up surveillance in the area, as the APBn is responsible for security in the airport's outer perimeter.
"Round-the-clock surveillance has been in place since then. Alongside the police, the APBn is also working to strengthen security," he said.
Regarding the grenades recovered in Rajshahi, Asif said the location was outside the airport premises and did not fall under the airport's jurisdiction. Nevertheless, CAAB had discussed the matter and asked police to increase patrols in the area.
He said airports, being classified as Key Point Installations (KPIs), were always under strict security arrangements, but additional measures were introduced whenever protests or deteriorating security situations warranted them.
The airport crisis response team also remained on standby at all times, he added.
"There is no reason to question or be concerned about airport security. The incidents took place outside our jurisdiction, not inside the airport premises. So, there is no risk of any adverse impact on airport operations," he said.
Asif also said the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) had recently completed a security audit, expressing confidence that Bangladesh would achieve a significantly improved international security rating.
He reiterated that all airports across the country and their surrounding areas were under round-the-clock surveillance.
Meanwhile, aviation experts stressed that airports, as Key Point Installations, must be protected at all costs. They warned that any attack at or near an airport could attract international media attention and damage the country's image.
They cautioned that if Bangladesh's airports were perceived as high-risk locations, the repercussions could extend to several sectors.
Aviation expert ATM Nazrul Islam told Dhaka Tribune that incidents outside airport premises could also have wider implications.
"To protect the country's image, security must be ensured not only inside airports but also in the surrounding areas," he said.
Another aviation expert, Kazi Wadel Alam, said CAAB should take all necessary measures to ensure that no negative message about airport security reaches the international community.