EU may put Bangladesh air cargo in ‘red’ category

Aircraft carrying cargo to European Union (EU) countries directly from Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) will be put through an enhanced screening process and security check. This instruction has come from the airport authority after they reportedly received a warning from the EU that the security status of Bangladesh’s airports was going to be put in the ‘red’ category. Civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon admitted that they have got the warning from EU. “But we haven’t received any official letter from them that our airport security status has been put in the ‘red’ category.” He said that since his ministry has not got any official letter, he would not comment on it. An official from the EU office in Dhaka, however, confirmed that the EU has indeed issued a warning and put cargo from Bangladesh in the ‘red’ category. The ‘red’-listed countries are subjected to enhanced security regulations.
Sources at HSIA told The Independent that on June 1, the director of the airport had held a meeting with representatives of several airlines. They discussed the situation in that meeting. Some of the airlines have reportedly asked the airport authority to bring new security devices and screening machines.
Group Captain Zakir Hossain, director of HSIA, told The Independent that they have not got an official letter from the EU yet. “We have not received any unofficial warning from them either,” he added.
Hossain said that at the meeting, some of the airline operators had informed him about the possible action of putting Bangladesh’s air cargo in the ‘red’ list.
“After the direct air cargo ban by the UK and Germany, we had taken several measures to improve our cargo security,” he said. The airport has now installed a multi-featured fully web-based cargo spot system, introduced an automated cash-receiving system, set up rapid scanners for cargo goods, and regularized the training of cargo personnel.
Besides, it has set up a cargo archway and placed security scanners at every entry point. The department will also set up a semi-automated warehouse in collaboration with the CAAB and the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory.
However, having the air cargo security system in the ‘red’ list means that the Airport Authority of Bangladesh needs to do more. All the cargo originating in Bangladesh would now have to go through two additional modes of screening.
First, it has to pass the X-ray screening with a dual-view monitor. After that, it has to be screened by the Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) or the Explosive Detection System (EDS) at the origin or the last point of departure before entering EU countries.
It was known from the airport sources that the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has already taken the initiative to buy two EDS machines by the first week of August.
On March 9 last year, after the UK clamped the ban on direct air cargo from Bangladesh, the latter signed an agreement with British Redline Aviation Security Ltd to provide three types of service—consultancy, supervision of airport security, and managing and training the airport personnel.
Later, an UK team visited Bangladesh and started the process of submitting a report on ACC3 (Air Carrier Carrying Cargo or Mail from Third Country Airport) to the Department for Transport, UK. If that report is good, the UK will withdraw its ban on direct cargo flights from Dhaka.
To obtain an ACC3 status, an airline must deliver a Declaration of Commitments, setting out how it operationally delivers its security responsibilities to the civil aviation authorities of the EU member state it flies cargo or mail to.
The declaration must cover every non-EU airport from which cargo or mail is flown to the EU, barring the airlines that fly cargo or mail directly from a ‘green’-listed country into the EU.
When asked about the development on that matter, Rashed Khan Menon said the ministry is expecting an update in the second week of July. “I am hopeful that the UK government will withdraw its direct cargo flight ban from Bangladesh soon,” he said.
The minister said a separate safety zone at the ‘cargo village’ of HSIA had received the status of RA3 (EU Aviation-Security-Validated Regulated Agent) on May 5.
According to the cargo-handling regulations of the EU, the RA3 status is mandatory to ship cargo to any EU country by air. “According to our plan, the entire cargo village will get RA3 status and all cargo-carrying airlines will operate from Dhaka,” he said.

EU may put Bangladesh air cargo in red category

Aircraft carrying cargo to European Union (EU) countries directly from Dhakas Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) will be put through an enhanced screening process and security check. This instruction has come from the airport authority after they reportedly received a warning from the EU that the security status of Bangladeshs airports was going to be put in the red category. Civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon admitted that they have got the warning from EU. But we havent received any official letter from them that our airport security status has been put in the red category. He said that since his ministry has not got any official letter, he would not comment on it. An official from the EU office in Dhaka, however, confirmed that the EU has indeed issued a warning and put cargo from Bangladesh in the red category. The red-listed countries are subjected to enhanced security regulations. Sources at HSIA told The Independent that on June 1, the director of the airport had held a meeting with representatives of several airlines. They discussed the situation in that meeting. Some of the airlines have reportedly asked the airport authority to bring new security devices and screening machines. Group Captain Zakir Hossain, director of HSIA, told The Independent that they have not got an official letter from the EU yet. We have not received any unofficial warning from them either, he added. Hossain said that at the meeting, some of the airline operators had informed him about the possible action of putting Bangladeshs air cargo in the red list. After the direct air cargo ban by the UK and Germany, we had taken several measures to improve our cargo security, he said. The airport has now installed a multi-featured fully web-based cargo spot system, introduced an automated cash-receiving system, set up rapid scanners for cargo goods, and regularized the training of cargo personnel. Besides, it has set up a cargo archway and placed security scanners at every entry point. The department will also set up a semi-automated warehouse in collaboration with the CAAB and the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory. However, having the air cargo security system in the red list means that the Airport Authority of Bangladesh needs to do more. All the cargo originating in Bangladesh would now have to go through two additional modes of screening. First, it has to pass the X-ray screening with a dual-view monitor. After that, it has to be screened by the Explosive Detection Dog (EDD) or the Explosive Detection System (EDS) at the origin or the last point of departure before entering EU countries. It was known from the airport sources that the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has already taken the initiative to buy two EDS machines by the first week of August. On March 9 last year, after the UK clamped the ban on direct air cargo from Bangladesh, the latter signed an agreement with British Redline Aviation Security Ltd to provide three types of serviceconsultancy, supervision of airport security, and managing and training the airport personnel. Later, an UK team visited Bangladesh and started the process of submitting a report on ACC3 (Air Carrier Carrying Cargo or Mail from Third Country Airport) to the Department for Transport, UK. If that report is good, the UK will withdraw its ban on direct cargo flights from Dhaka. To obtain an ACC3 status, an airline must deliver a Declaration of Commitments, setting out how it operationally delivers its security responsibilities to the civil aviation authorities of the EU member state it flies cargo or mail to. The declaration must cover every non-EU airport from which cargo or mail is flown to the EU, barring the airlines that fly cargo or mail directly from a green-listed country into the EU. When asked about the development on that matter, Rashed Khan Menon said the ministry is expecting an update in the second week of July. I am hopeful that the UK government will withdraw its direct cargo flight ban from Bangladesh soon, he said. The minister said a separate safety zone at the cargo village of HSIA had received the status of RA3 (EU Aviation-Security-Validated Regulated Agent) on May 5. According to the cargo-handling regulations of the EU, the RA3 status is mandatory to ship cargo to any EU country by air. According to our plan, the entire cargo village will get RA3 status and all cargo-carrying airlines will operate from Dhaka, he said.