Thefts in HSIA ground handling zone galore

Shamsul Huda Export and import cargoes go missing almost regularly from the ground handling zone at the Dhaka international airport because of lax security and the authorities seem least concerned about it. A freight forwarder alleged cargoes are going missing frequently from the area at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA). Still the Armed Police Battalion (APBN) of the Biman Bangladesh Airlines responsible for securing the zone could not look into such allegations, he added. According to sources with freight forwarding agents, it is the responsibility of owners of consignments and their agents to secure their goods before their scan. But once scanned, it is the Biman's duty to secure the cargoes. But sources concerned said cargoes are being lost from the area even in presence of the Biman security staff. The thefts happen, even though there are no outsiders inside the cargo zone, they further said. They blamed a section of guards and other security personnel posted there for the thefts. A consignee who lost his cargoes in the ground handling zone said: "Biman's own staff members are engaged in pilfering the cargoes on the premises before loading them into air carriers." Apart from the lax security in the ground handling zone, other problems relating to scanning and weight mismatch are also tarnishing the international airport's image, an official said. He said a section of employees formed an unholy alliance and so it was difficult for anybody to make any complaint against them in writing to the authority. A leader of Bangladesh Freight Forwarding Agents' Association said due to the unholy alliance among them nobody could make any complaint against them. He also said last month an 800-kg container, sixty cartons of YKK zippers and medicine cartons were lost from the zone apart from other incidents of thievery. According to several airlines' agents who preferred anonymity, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is responsible for scanning all cargoes. They said the unit load device (ULD) scanner is old and its reading is not perfect in many cases. So often some cargoes not meant for export also get loaded into air carriers along with other exportable products. A leader of freight forwarders also said the people dealing with the radiation reading are not well-trained. So they are unable to understand the radio images of cargoes properly. When asked, Azad Zahirul Islam, Director for Air Traffic Service and Aerodrome of the CAAB, said: "Biman is responsible for overall ground handling. We are only doing the scanning of cargoes." About the freight forwarders' allegation that the CAAB was using old scanning machine, he said the installed ULD scanner is new and its radiation level is nil. He said their machine was certified by the Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and that the concerned employees were trained on how to run the scanner. The official said a section of people were always trying to tarnish the CAAB's image citing the issue of scanning as they were seeking to deploy their own private parties there. However, about security on the runway in Baunia area a freight forwarding agent said people can enter it at night, as there is no fencing or tight security at that point. He said cargoes are kept on the runway for loading into the air freight carriers and the local people often enter the area, open cartons and take away many exportable items. When asked about the thefts in the ground handling zone, an official at the Biman cargo department requesting not to be named said: "I know a good number of complaints have been made about thefts to our department. But we are yet to investigate them." Biman's investigation is a complicated and time-consuming process, he said. However, if any complaint against anybody is found true, he would be punished, he said.