The recent detection of a pistol magazine inside the carry-on bag of a government adviser at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) has once again brought to light serious lapses in airport security, raising questions about preferential treatment, enforcement gaps, and systemic weaknesses at the country’s busiest international gateway.
Although the item was ultimately flagged during scanning, the fact that it passed through an earlier layer of screening—including inside the VIP terminal gate—has exposed how vulnerable airport protocols remain, particularly when applied inconsistently.
The adviser claimed the oversight was unintentional, but aviation experts say the breach underscores broader issues in security enforcement.
This is far from the first time the system has been compromised. In May 2020, Sikder Group Managing Director Ron Haque Sikder and his brother Dipu Sikder—facing criminal allegations including threats of violence against senior bankers—managed to flee the country via a private air ambulance. Despite a COVID-19 lockdown that had suspended nearly all outbound flights, the Sikder brothers reportedly used the VVIP terminal to exit the country unnoticed, raising questions about how immigration, airport, and aviation security agencies remained unaware—or deliberately looked away.
In 2023, in another startling incident, a 12-year-old boy managed to bypass all airport checks—without a passport, ticket, or boarding card—and boarded a Kuwait-bound flight in September 2023. He was only discovered after the plane crew realized there was an extra passenger on the sold-out flight. The boy had slipped past at least five layers of security by blending in with an elderly couple, according to airport police and CCTV footage.
These repeated breaches point not to isolated missteps, but to systemic weaknesses compounded by preferential treatment for the influential, lax enforcement, and a lack of institutional accountability.
Airport insiders admit that bags carried by VIPs or their aides often go unchecked at the first level of security. “The more powerful the passenger, the less scrutiny their luggage gets,” said a senior airport official, requesting anonymity. “That’s just the reality at HSIA.”
Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad and Aviation Security (AVSEC) Wing Commander Jakaria Mahbub declined to comment on the security issues, but they have issued a series of enhanced security measures in response to growing criticism. These measures include stricter screening of VIP/VVIP baggage, mandatory manual checks for high-risk items flagged by X-ray and metal detectors, routine briefings for Aviation Security (AVSEC) staff, heightened instructions for CCTV surveillance teams, prior documentation and approval for anyone carrying firearms, and formal investigations involving relevant agencies in the event of a breach.
However, observers remain skeptical. “Security protocols don’t fail because of machines—they fail because of human hesitation,” said Captain Rezaul Karim, a retired Biman pilot with experience in international aviation standards. “If rules are optional for VIPs, then the whole system is compromised by design.”
He pointed out that repeated lapses not only erode public trust but also threaten Bangladesh’s aviation credibility. “The longer these inconsistencies persist, the harder it becomes to meet international compliance standards.”
He added that such repeated lapses directly affect the country’s aviation prospects. “Biman still cannot fly directly to New York because Bangladesh remains stuck in FAA Category 2,” he said. “Until we fix these oversight issues and meet international safety standards, regaining Category 1 and restoring long-haul routes like the US will remain out of reach.”
Unless uniform screening is ensured for all passengers, further security breaches could jeopardise not only individual safety but the country’s international aviation standing, said aviation experts.