Ministry informs PMO about airport security
The civil aviation ministry yesterday sent a letter to the Prime Minister's Office, detailing the measures taken so far to improve security at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
On the basis of the letter, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina is expected to write back to her British counterpart David Cameron, requesting him to withdraw the ban on direct air cargo from Dhaka to London.
“We sent a draft to the Prime Minister's Office yesterday [Thursday], mentioning what we have done so far against their [UK aviation security team's] requirement,” Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon told The Daily Star last night.
The UK on Wednesday imposed the ban, saying Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport failed to meet some international security requirements.
In a letter to Hasina on Tuesday, Cameron called for a visible improvement of airport security by March 31 to avoid further measures like banning of direct Biman flights from Dhaka to London.
Highly placed sources said Hasina in the letter to Cameron would elaborate on the steps already implemented to improve airport security.
Hasina might also seek extension of the deadline for the implementation of a comprehensive work plan for achieving visible improvement, the sources added.
Amid fear of further bans, the minister and secretary to the ministry have decided to spend part of their office hours at the airport every day until March 31 for quick implementation of a plan agreed by Bangladesh and the UK.
Menon said he would visit the airport today, despite it being a weekly holiday, to monitor the activities.
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