As millions in the Western world started their New Year’s Eve celebrations, my year began in Dhaka Airport. Despite the name change from Zia International Airport due to political rivalry, it still remains Dhaka Airport whenever I mention it.
As the plane lands on the runway, those in a mad rush to leave head out first; afterwards, I descend down the ramp and breathe in the foggy winter Dhaka air after four years. When the airport shuttle takes me to the main terminal building, I think of how the airport has evolved over the decades.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport became operational in 1980, with help from Airport de Paris as consultant. Soon, it added three major complexes: The domestic and VVIP terminals, plus the flying club, alongside aprons and taxiways. In the 90s, six boarding bridges and holding lounges were built. The three-storey building can now accommodate eight million passengers annually.
The new millennium saw a multi-storey 500-car parking garage; a delight for those waiting long hours to pick up friends, family, or clients. New projects include drainage modernisation, upgrading radio communications, and check-in counters with Common User Terminal Equipment network.
My thought cloud burst into bits as I saw a colossal crowd desperately trying to reach the immigration desks. Someone mentioned that several flights landed in the early morning hours, creating overwhelming pressure. There was no line structure; people weaved from one line to another, rows converged and dispersed.
Despite clearly-marked signage for Bangladeshi nationals, foreign passport holders, visa-on-arrival customers, and diplomats/cabin crews, and passengers coalesced to whatever counter seemed available. Upon reaching the passport control desk, if the immigration official would mention that the passenger is in the wrong line, loud arguments would break out from those already waiting for an hour.
Add to this equation crying babies, and you have desperate parents jumping in front of the queue, pushing into the counter. “Line etiquette be damned, my baby is going crazy.” One briefly wonders at this point if this ordeal is worth it.
Folks, this scenario has to change. Bangladesh has come too far to be stuck in this medieval nightmare for those entering its port from faraway lands, eager to reconnect with the nation, visit its natural wonders, or conduct business. The Civil Aviation Authority, in conjunction with Bangladesh Police Special Branch immigration officers, must take concrete steps to remedy the situation.
First off, queue management is essential in improving efficiency. Steel stanchions with retractable belts should be set from the passport control desks to queue entry point; these poles can secure lines and prevent crossovers. Next, uniformed queue managers should be hired to ensure that lines are kept intact.
These personnel would inspect each passenger’s passport to ascertain that they are in the correct line. Families where one member is a foreign passport-holder and the other is not, can be allowed to stay together; these exceptions should be at the queue manager’s discretion.
Also, these officials ought to help passengers properly fill up arrival cards. Too many times people fill these up only upon reaching the desk, thereby wasting valuable time and exhausting the immigration officer’s patience. Furthermore, investments can be made to provide queue managers with smartphones.
They would take photos of passengers’ passports and arrival cards, and transfer these images to a backup counter. The immigration officer at this counter would record all receiving data into the computer system, thus relieving pressure from the overflow.
Implementing these measures would create structured queues and protect airport security. Passenger frustrations leading to outbursts, mass arguments with immigration officers, blatant line-cutting that would be unacceptable at one’s workplace -- these must be made remnants of the past. Alongside the nation, Hazrat Shah Jalal International Airport has come a long way. Well-lit, spacious lounges offer cozy seating, fancy restaurants provide good meals, relatively-clean restrooms are refreshing; these are the hallmarks of development.
Utilising smart strategies for smooth line flows will improve efficiency, elevate customer experience, and boost staff satisfaction. I request the honourable civil aviation minister, civil aviation authority director, and additional inspector general of police to alleviate this ordeal faced by many entering the nation with high hopes and dreams.