Bangladesh garment exporters want the United Kingdom relax its suspension order of cargo flights from Dhaka until March 31 as they fear it will affect their supply of products to the European nation.
Expressing concerns over the decision taken under security reasons, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association at a press conference yesterday urged the Bangladesh government to deal with the UK concerns promptly and also request the UK authorities to relax their decision.
On Wednesday, the UK government suspended direct cargo flights from Dhaka out of security concerns at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
“UK market is a very important for Bangladesh and 10%-15% of total exports to the country are airshipped,” BGMEA President Siddiqur Rahman said.
“The decision will hurt the export-oriented RMG sector as we are already suffering losses from a same type of move taken by the Australian government,” he said seeking Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s intervention into the issue.
BGMEA Vice President Mohammad Nasir and Director Miran Ali were also present.
Though the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh held an emergency meeting yesterday, it didn’t disclose anything about what steps would be taken in response to the British allegations of lax security at the country’s main airport. Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon, along with CAAB chairman and Biman Bangladesh Airlines acting CEO, was present at the meeting.
At a different meeting with the EU ambassador in Dhaka, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed raised the issue and requested the envoy to look into the matter.
In its website on Wednesday, British Transportation Department said: “Recent security assessments of Dhaka International Airport found that some international security requirements were not being met... As part of a set of interim measures, cargo will not be allowed on direct flights from Dhaka to the UK until further notice.”
“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,” it added.
It also threatened the suspension of passenger flights from Dhaka to the UK unless the security was improved by this month.
The British authorities earlier asked Bangladesh authorities to improve security measures and take a sustainable action plan for ensuring adequate security at the airport. They threatened complexities might arise regarding continuation of Dhaka-London direct flight if the security was not improved.