The government has moved to establish a unified airport command structure by placing all security and policing operations under the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), a step aimed at removing ambiguity and ensuring greater accountability across airport operations.
The decision was taken at a high-level meeting at the chief adviser鈥檚 office on Wednesday, chaired by Lutfey Siddiqi, special envoy to the chief adviser on international affairs, with senior officials from key ministries, the police, armed forces and aviation authorities in attendance.
According to the meeting notes, all agencies operating within airport perimeters will now function under CAAB鈥檚 authority to ensure unified command, regulation and control.
The meeting decided that the Armed Police Battalion would resume policing inside terminal buildings as soon as possible, restoring its primary law enforcement role in passenger areas, while Aviation Security would continue its existing responsibilities.
To minimise operational challenges, the IGP and the CAAB chairman will hold regular meetings to resolve inter-agency issues.
The meeting also resolved that the Bangladesh Air Force task force currently deployed at airports would return to its parent organisation upon completion of its assignment.
In addition, weekly security meetings would be held at each airport to ensure consistent oversight, with the adviser from the civil aviation and tourism ministry expected to attend the inaugural meeting as a guest.
Looking to the long term, civil aviation and tourism ministry has been authorised to draft recommendations for restructuring CAAB, with the aim of separating its dual role as operator and regulator.
Among others, the meeting was attended by IGP Baharul Alam; secretary to the chief adviser鈥檚 office M Saifullah Panna; civil aviation and tourism ministry secretary Nasreen Jahan and CAAB chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq.
