Sunday, September 18, 2011

Bangladesh: Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka under grips of crime racket

Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka [the capital city of Bangladesh] has gone into grips of crime racket for years causing tremendous sufferings to the passengers, especially foreigners, who either visit Bangladesh for business or tourism. According to information, more than 40 per cent of the baggages of the incoming or outgoing passengers are regularly cut by the organized crime racket, thus stealing the valuables. Only during 2010, there had been at least 7,000-8,000 cases of such stealing, which were reported with the appropriate authorities. But no action was taken against the culprits. It is apprehended that the number of unreported stealing would cross a few thousand. In addition to such harassment by the organized crime racket at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the members of the immigration and customs are also reportedly to be engaged in harassing the passengers, thus extracting money from most of the expatriate Bangladeshis. Most of the wage-earners complain about the ongoing harassment of customs and immigration officials at Shahjalal International Airport, though no action has ever been taken against this racket for reason unknown.

Most of the cases of baggage theft take place with the passengers, who fly by national flag career Biman Bangladesh Airlines. On an average, at least 10-15 passengers of Biman Bangladesh Airlines have to leave the airport without luggage, as in most cases, their luggage are lost due to wrong handling of the airline company, or stolen by the organized crime rackets. According to officials of Biman, two of the five passengers lose their luggage on a daily basis. On top of that there are regular complaints about packed items being stolen through luggage tampering including slashing, and long delays in putting luggage on carousels for passengers to pick up. When luggages are lost, owners have to face bureaucratic run around to lodge complaints and recover the luggage, many passengers alleged. The number of complaints is lesser during the lean season between March and October, but during the peak season between November and February it rises to over 1,000 a month. It may be mentioned here that, Shahjalal International Airport handles approximately 4 million passengers each year, while 25 local and foreign airlines companies are using this airport on a daily basis.

After Awami League formed government, officials at the immigration desks at Shahjalal International Airport are allegedly blackmailing politicians, editors, journalists and businessmen stating, their names were put in the "no fly list" of the Special Branch of Police. In most cases, the person concerned has to pay exorbitant amount of bribe to the immigration desks in order to avoid harassment.

Harassment of passengers at Shahjalal International Airport as well as stealing baggage of the passengers is continuing in full swing. The ministry concerned has miserably failed in resolving this issue. Now, for the sake of the image of the nation, the Prime Minister needs to take immediate steps by deploying members of non-police intelligence agencies at the airport to monitor the degree of harassment and crime and take stern actions against the culprits.

http://www.weeklyblitz.net

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