Dhaka Airport
Govt will decide on ground handling at Dhaka airport’s third terminal and Biman is ready: CEO
There has been no official decision yet on the ground handling work at the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim has said.
“The prime minister gave a clear directive during her visit to the airport that the ground handling should be improved, it should be world-class. We have been working to ensure that since then," he said.
“Since then, we have been procuring new equipment. We have already bought new equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore, and a Tk 600-700 crore budget to buy new equipment is in the pipeline. We have recruited manpower as well,” said the national flag carrier CEO.
“There are limitations in this too, but we are working day and night,” he said.
Also read: 12 boarding bridges will be operational when Dhaka Airport’s 3rd Terminal partially opens this Oct: CAAB
A project with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) is on, he added.
Soft opening of Dhaka airport’s 3rd terminal on Oct 7: CAAB Chief
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s third terminal will have its soft opening on October 7. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina will inaugurate the new terminal.
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), said this during a press conference on Tuesday (August 08, 2023) noon at the under-construction third terminal.
Read: 12 boarding bridges will be operational when Dhaka Airport’s 3rd Terminal partially opens this Oct: CAAB
“We were informed yesterday (August 7) by the Prime Minister’s office (PMO) that the premier will inaugurate the third terminal at a soft opening on October 7,” the CAAB chief said.
However, he said, passengers will be able to fully use the third terminal by the end of 2024.
Read: Groundhandling contract for Terminal 3 will go to Japan: CAAB chairman
“We want to complete 90 percent of the third terminal project before October 7, and we are optimistic that the work will be finished ahead of schedule,” added the CAAB chairman.
Two passengers arrested in Dhaka Airport with 1 kg gold
Airport Armed Police (AAP) Battalion arrested two passengers along with gold weighing around 1.111 kg while they were trying to come out from the customs hall of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Sunday.
The arrestees were identified as Saddam Hossain (33) and Nizam Khandkar (29). Both of them arrived at the airport by a flight of Emirates airlines from Dubai at around 12:20 pm, said Additional Superintendent of Police (SP) of the AAP Mohammad Ziaul Haque.
The AAP officer said when the two detained passengers were collecting their luggage from the baggage belt, the Intelligence wing members of the AAP found them trying to tamper with the baggage trolley.
Also Read: 204 gold bars worth Tk25 crore seized from Biman flight
When the two passengers crossed the green channel of the airport, members of the intelligence wing of the AAP detained them and brought them to the AAP office. During primary interrogation, the two passengers denied carrying any item illegally, but later they admitted to having gold with them.
Ziaul Haque also said, after that, the hidden gold was recovered from the trolley, bag and wristwatch with passengers Saddam Hossain and Nizam Khandkar. Apart from gold bars, gold plates were also recovered. Although the plate appeared to be white in color, chemical tests have confirmed that it is 24 carat gold. 420 grams of gold was recovered from passenger Saddam Hossain and 691 grams from Nizam Khandkar. Both arrived on the same flight from Dubai. The total weight of recovered gold is 1 kg 111 grams. Its market value is around 1 crore 10 lakh taka, he said and added that legal action has been taken against them.
First hajj flight carrying 415 pilgrims leaves Dhaka for Saudi Arabia
An aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines carrying 415 hajj pilgrims left Dhaka today (May 21, 2023) for Saudi Arabia -- the first hajj flight this year.
The flight BG-3001 took off from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 3:20 am and was scheduled to land in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia at 7:20 am (local time).
Four more flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines are scheduled to depart Dhaka with hajj pilgrims for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) today.
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali, State Minister for Religion Md Faridul Haque Khan, lawmaker Habib Hasan, Biman Governing Council Chairman Mustafa Kamal Uddin, and KSA Ambassador to Bangladesh Issa Bin Youssef Al-Dahilan, among others, saw off the hajj pilgrims at Dhaka airport.
Read more: PM inaugurates Hajj programme-2023
Earlier, at an event organized to mark the first hajj flight, at the airport, State Minister Mahbub sought prayers from the pilgrims for happiness, peace, prosperity, and advancement of the country under the leadership of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
He said all-out preparations have been taken to ensure the smooth operation of hajj flights like the past years.
This year, Biman Bangladesh Airlines authorities will carry 61,111 hajj pilgrims out of total 1, 22,221 with its five aircraft. The rest will be carried by the Saudia and Flynas.
Lauding the prime minister’s diplomatic success, the state minister said the immigration of the hajj passengers at the KSA end is being completed in Dhaka under the ‘Road to Makkah Initiative’.
He said several initiatives were taken to ease sufferings of the pilgrims and no passenger has been subjected to harassment for booking tickets after initiating a new rule and enhanced monitoring since 2019.
The Biman authorities concerned will conduct 162 pre-hajj flights from May 21 to June 22, and 168 post-hajj flights from July 2 to August 3 this year.
Like last year, Biman will operate flights from Chattogram and Sylhet to Jeddah and Madinah along with Dhaka this year.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina inaugurated the hajj programme on May 19.
Read more: Pray that Bangladesh is safe from man-made or natural disasters: PM to Hajj pilgrims
Man held with 1 kg gold at Dhaka airport
Members of the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) arrested a man along with six gold bars and ornaments, weighing around one kg, from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka earlier today.
The arrestee was identified as Oli Ahad, 46, son of Bazlu Mia of Ashuganj in Brahmanbaria district.
Based on a tip-off, a team of APBn conducted a drive at the airport area and arrested Ahad around 1:10 am, said Additional SP of Airport Armed Police (AAP) Mohammad Ziaul Haque.
Also Read: Man held with gold worth Tk 1 crore at Dhaka airport
However, according to APBn, Ahad received the gold and who provided the gold to him, could not be known immediately.
Actress Mahiya Mahi arrested from Dhaka Airport after landing from Saudi Arabia
Police today (March 18, 2023) arrested popular film actress Mahiya Mahi, from Dhaka Airport, in connection with a case filed under Digital Security Act.
Mohammad Ibrahim, deputy commissioner of DB of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said a team of Gazipur police arrested Mahi from Dhaka Airport.
Mohammad Ziaul Haque, additional superintendent (media) of Airport Armed Police, said Mahi arrived at the airport from Jeddah. “A team of Gazipur police arrested her around 12 pm.”
Earlier, Rokon Mia, sub-inspector of Bason Police Station, filed a case under Digital Security Act against Mahiya Mahi and her husband Rakib Sarkar on Friday (March 17, 2023) night on charge of “defaming police” after going live on Facebook.
Also read: 2 cases filed against actress Mahiya Mahi, husband in Gazipur
Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, a businessman, filed the other case with Bason Police Station against 28 people including the couple on charges of assaulting, vandalism and forcibly occupying land.
Abu Torab Mohammad Shamsuddin, deputy commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said police filed the case against the couple for “tarnishing the image of police, including Gazipur Metropolitan Police Commissioner Molla Nazrul Islam”, after going live on Facebook.
According to the case statement, Mahiya Mahi, from her Facebook page, went live early Friday — making allegations against police.
During the live session, she said Ismail Hossain and Mamun Sarkar, through their people, carried out an attack on a showroom, Sony Raj Car Palace, on Dhaka-Tangail highway near Bhawal Badre Alam Government College.
Read More: Actress Mahiya Mahi collects AL nomination form for Chapainawabganj-2 by-election
The actress and her husband also alleged that the Gazipur Metropolitan Police commissioner “supported the attackers” after taking bribe.
She also said she feared getting arrested after returning to the country from Makkah. During the Facebook live, Mahiya’s husband Rakib alleged that police arrested security guards of the car showroom.
Meanwhile, Ismail Hossain, owner of Rod Binding Factory in Itahata area of Gazipur city, in his complaint said, he has been running a factory in the area for the past ten years after purchasing land there.
On Friday, some people on behalf of Rakib and Mahiya attacked and vandalized the factory, he said. They also beat up five people at the factory, leaving them injured, while trying to occupy the land, according to the complaint.
Read More: Mahiya Mahi set for motherhood
Contacted, Molla Nazrul, Commissioner of Gazipur Metropolitan Police, said, “Actress Mahiya brought allegations against police on Facebook and tried to draw sympathy through lies.”
Terminal 3 of Dhaka Airport getting ready to ‘take off’: JICA shares latest photos
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) yesterday (March 14, 2023) shared stunning photos of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport’s Terminal 3 on its Facebook page.
The photos show the beautifully designed ceiling of the new terminal and construction work going on at the extension site.
Read More: Bay terminal likely to start operation in 2026: Khalid
Biman flight's tyre bursts during takeoff in Kolkata, lands safely in Dhaka
A tyre of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ flight bursted during takeoff from India's Kolkata this morning.
The Biman flight, BG-392, had 72 passengers on board when the incident happened at 9:19 am (local time).
The plane landed safely in Dhaka at 10:03 am without any incident, Group Captain Kamrul Islam, executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, said.
14 kgs gold seized at Dhaka airport
Customs preventive team of Dhaka Customs House (DCH) seized 120 gold bars worth Tk 13.50 crore from inside a passenger carrying bus owned by US Bangla Airlines at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) on Thursday.
Sources at the HSIA said the DCH had a secret information that a smuggler syndicate would bring a large gold consignment in Dhaka from Dubai by a flight of US Bangla Airlines and then the consignment will be smuggled out through passenger carrying vehicle of the airlines.
When a vehicle reached near Gate-21 carrying passengers from the aircraft, customs officials started questioning driver after passengers got down from the vehicle, said Shafiqur Rahman, an officer of the DCH.
At one stage, Md Harunor Rashid, 40, the driver of the ram bus, admitted that gold consignment had been kept hidden inside the vehicle.
Then the customs preventive team recovered four packets containing the gold bars, kept hidden inside the bus, the Customs official said.
After searching the four packets at the customs hall, they found 120 gold bars weighing around 14.132 kgs, he added.
A case was filed with airport police station.
New Chinese foreign minister makes brief stopover at Dhaka airport
Newly appointed Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang had a brief stopover at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport early Tuesday.
"Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen received his Chinese counterpart upon his arrival at around 1:58am. Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh and senior officials of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) were also present," a senior MoFA official told UNB.
The foreign ministers had a brief meeting there and discussed issues of mutual interest.
Earlier, Momen told UNB that it was not an official visit to Bangladesh, but the Chinese foreign minister would make a stopover here on his way to another destination.
Qin Gang, who until recently was ambassador to the US, has started his term with a weeklong trip to five African countries.
Read more: China’s foreign minister signals deeper ties with Russia
To "deepen the China-Africa comprehensive strategic and cooperative partnership" and boost friendly cooperation between China and Africa, Foreign Minister Qin Gang will visit Ethiopia, Gabon, Angola, Benin, Egypt, the African Union Headquarters and the League of Arab States Headquarters upon invitation, from January 9 to 16, 2023," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said at a daily media briefing on Monday.
This is the 33rd consecutive year that Africa has been the destination of the Chinese foreign ministers' annual first overseas visit, he added.