The government has picked Redline Assured Security, a UK-based aviation security company, to upgrade the security management and training of personnel at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The approval came from a meeting of the cabinet committee on economic affairs yesterday, presided over by Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, as part of the government’s short term initiatives to meet the conditions on airport security outlined by the UK.
The decision came in the wake of the UK’s suspension of direct cargo flights from here over security concerns.
“The government has appointed the UK based security firm Redline Aviation Security Limited in direct purchase process with a cost of Tk73.25 crore. The firm will stay till March 2018,” Additional Secretary Mustafizur Rahman told reporters after the meeting.
Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed said the UK government has been monitoring 38 airports across the globe since the attack on a Russian passenger aircraft in the Sinai valley in Egypt on October 31, 2015.
“The crisis of sending local export commodities abroad through Shahjalal Airport will be over,” he said.
Tofail Ahmed also said 29 workers of Redline Security will work at the Shajalah Airport and they will train the existing airport workers.
Civil Aviation Minister Rashid Khan Mannan said, “The policymakers of the consultant firm will come to Bangladesh to give advice to the airport’s local security staff.”
On March 8, the UK imposed a temporary ban on direct air cargo shipment from Dhaka to London, citing security issues. Australia came up with the same move in December last year.
UK’s Department for Transport in a post said a recent security assessment found that Dhaka airport was yet to meet some international security requirements.
“As part of a set of interim measures, cargo will not be allowed on direct flights from Dhaka to the UK until further notice,” it read.
The British authorities also informed the Bangladesh government that unless there is visible improvement in security situation by March 31, direct flights of Biman between Dhaka and London will be banned.
British Prime Minister David Cameron in a letter to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said an improvement plan must be developed and delivered by March 31 to avoid further measures.
The government had been negotiating with a number of UK firms – Restrata, Redline and Westminster Group – to engage in assisting Bangladesh airport security agencies and train them.
