Dhaka Airport
12 kg gold bars seized at Dhaka airport
Customs officials on Monday seized 104 gold bars worth some Tk8.44 crore from an aircraft at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
According to a press release of the Directorate of Customs Intelligence and Investigation, a team of customs officials, tipped off, searched the cargo hold of a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Dubai around 9.15am.
Also read: Man held with 8 gold bars in Hili
Later, the officials found 104 gold bars weighing 12 kg in three packets hidden in the cargo hole of the aircraft.
The gold bars were brought for ‘smuggling’ purposes to avoid duty fees. However, no one was identified, according to customs intelligence sources.
Processes are underway to file a case in this regard, said the release.
Also read: Security guard held with 80 gold bars at Chattogram airport
Ministry to bear Covid test expenses of UAE-bound passengers
The ministry of expatriates welfare will bear the expenses (TK 1,600) of UAE bound workers undergoing Covid-19 tests at the RT-PCR laboratories of Dhaka Airport.
Imran Ahmed, the minister of the Ministry of Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment made the remarks at an exchange meeting with Bangladeshi expatriates at the Bangladesh Embassy in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Saturday afternoon.
“Expatriate workers are remittance fighters of our country. Their contribution to the country's economy is undeniable.
Read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport awaits UAE’s approval: State Minister
“The government is working to ensure their welfare. As part of this, the ministry will pay Tk 1,600 for the Covid-19 test at the airport for workers going to the UAE,” the minister noted.Earlier this week, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) received the notificarion of arrival approval from the United Arab Emirates regarding operations of RT-PCR laboratories at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for Covid testing of passengers bound for the country.
BGMEA wants better cargo handling services at Dhaka airport
Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association (BGMEA) has urged the government to improve cargo handling services at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to facilitate ready-made garments (RMG) exports.
A BGMEA delegation led by Acting President SM Mannan made the request to State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali during a meeting held at the secretariat Thursday.
BGMEA Vice-President Md Nasir Uddin; directors Md Mohiuddin Rubel, Md Khosru Chowdhury and Rajiv Chowdhury also attended the meeting.
READ: BGMEA wants to increase RMG exports to Canada, promote positive image
The BGMEA leaders called for increasing the number of explosive detection scanners (EDS) at the airport to speed up the process of export cargo scanning.
They also focused on regularly carrying out maintenance of the existing two EDS as one of them often remains out of service due to the lack of proper maintenance.
READ: BGMEA chief invites Canadian businessmen to invest in Bangladesh
The BGMEA delegation called on bringing RMG goods inside the cargo village or canopy immediately after unloading from aircraft so that they are not damaged due to rain.
They also called for taking steps to make loading and unloading of RMG cargoes faster and properly stacking them in the cargo shed so that goods can easily be found and released quickly.
Man held with 25 gold bars at Dhaka airport
A man was detained by Customs officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Wednesday night for allegedly attempting to smuggle in 25 gold bars worth Tk 2 crore.
The detainee has been identified as Md Ripon, a resident of Cumilla district.
Read: Youth held with 1.162 kg of gold bars smuggled from Myanmar
Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Customs House (preventive team) Md Sanoarul Kabir said that based on a tip-off, officials intercepted Ripon at the airport around 11.15pm upon his arrival from Riyadh on a Saudi Airlines flight.
"Upon frisking, our officials found the 25 gold bars weighing 2.99kg hidden in the sleeves of his jacket. The estimated market value of the seized gold is Tk 2 crore," he said.
Read: Robbing gold trader: OC Saiful again placed on 4-day remand
Ripon was later handed over to the Airport Police Station. A case will be filed against him in this connection, the official said.
Covid test at Dhaka airport within 3-4 days: Caab chairman
Covid testing at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka will begin within three to four days, said chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab) Air-Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman on Saturday.
He said this during his visit to the site designated for RT-PCR booths to be set up at the car parking lot of the airport for migrant workers.
The Caab chairman said the Covid testing will begin once the diagnostic centre, selected by the authorities, sets up its RT-PCR mobile booths.
Also read: Vaccination of students aged 12-17 to begin within 20 days: Health Minister
On September 6, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said PCR booths will be set up at three international airports of Bangladesh to facilitate passengers to take Covid-19 tests four to six hours before boarding their flights.
Also read: Covid claims 51 more lives in Bangladesh, case positivity rate falls to 5.98 per cent
The directive came from a cabinet meeting held with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in the chair.
He said the PCR booths will be set up at Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet international airports.
Blackcaps arrive in Dhaka for T20 series
The New Zealand national cricket team arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday. They will take on the hosts in a five-match T20I series starting September 1 at Sher-e-Bangla stadium.
A Singapore Airlines flight carrying the Blackcaps landed at Dhaka airport around noon. The players were subsequently whisked away to a Dhaka hotel, where they will have to undergo a three-day quarantine.
Read:New Zealand T20Is: Tigers to enter bio-secure bubble Tuesday
A two-member observer team of New Zealand and two Kiwi players are already in Bangladesh, and are under quarantine.
The Bangladesh national cricket team will also enter a bio-secure bubble from Tuesday and maintain a three-day quarantine before starting preparations for this series.
The first match of the series will take place on September 1, while the other matches will be played on September 3, 5, 8 and 10, respectively. All the matches will be played at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
Read:T20 Ranking : How Bangladesh Can Become No. 5 T20I Team at the End of the New Zealand series?
BCB has already announced a 19-member squad for this series. Mushfiqur Rahim, Liton Das and Aminul Islam Biplob have made a comeback to the squad.
All of them were out of the squad in the last series against Australia that Bangladesh won 4-1, which was the first series win for the Tigers against Australia.
Read:BAN vs. NZ 2021: How Bangladesh Can Clinch the T20I Series Against New Zealand
Bangladesh squad: Mahmudullah Riyad (capt), Shakib Al Hasan, Mushfiqur Rahim, Soumya Sarkar, Liton Das, Musaddek Hossain Saikat, Afif Hossain, Mohammad Naim, Nurul Hasan Sohan, Shamim Hossain, Rubel Hossain, Mustafizur Rahman, Taskin Ahmed, Mohammad Saifuddin, Shoriful Islam, Taijul Islam, Mahedi Hasan, Aminul Islam Biplob, Nasum Ahmed
New Zealand squad: Tom Latham (capt, wk), Finn Allen, Hamish Bennett, Tom Blundell (wk), Doug Bracewell, Colin de Grandhomme, Jacob Duffy, Scott Kuggeleijn, Cole McConchie, Henry Nicholls, Ajaz Patel, Rachin Ravindra, Ben Sears, Blair Tickner, Will Young
Man held with 9k Yaba pills at Dhaka airport
A passenger travelling to Saudi Arabia was arrested at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the early hours of Wednesday for allegedly trying to smuggle out drugs.
Some 9,000 pieces of yaba (also known as the madness drug) have been seized from the possession of the accused, identified as Saddam, officials said.
Read:Man held with 37 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Additional Superintendent of Airport Armed Police Ziaul Haque said Saddam wanted to smuggle out the yaba tablets to Dammam, Saudi Arabia.
"Saddam was supposed to take a Salam Air flight to Saudi Arabia. Our sleuths detected the drugs inside his checked-in luggage during routine frisking. A thorough search later helped us seize the drugs," he said.
Read:Man held with currencies of 8 countries at Dhaka airport
During interrogation, the accused told cops that he had collected 8,950 pieces of yaba from a person in Cumilla and was supposed to deliver the same to a man in Dammam.
Earlier too, Saddam was booked under the Narcotics Act, officials said.
Man held with 37 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Customs officials detained a man along with 37 gold bars worth Tk 3 crore at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on his arrival from Saudi Arabia on Monday.
The detainee was identified as Mahin Uddin from Cumilla district.
Deputy Commissioner of the Dhaka Customs House (preventive team) Mohammad Abdus Sadek said a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines landed at the airport around 3:11 pm on Monday.
Also read: Three held with Tk 8cr-worth liquid gold at Dhaka airport
Tipped off, a preventive team of the Dhaka Customs challenged Mahin, a passenger of the flight at the boarding bridge and brought him to the green channel of the airport.
Later, they recovered the gold bars weighing 4.29 Kgs from his handbag in presence of other officials.
Mahin claimed that the gold bars were handed over to him by a fellow immigrant from Cumilla named Jakir Hossain at King Khalid International Airport in Saudi Arabia, said the customs official.
An anonymous man was to receive the bars from Mahin outside the airport upon arrival, he said.
Also read: Man held with 52 gold bars at Dhaka airport
He was handed over to the Airport Police Station. A case was filed in this connection.
Three held with Tk 8cr-worth liquid gold at Dhaka airport
Airport Armed Police on Tuesday apprehended three men at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and seized around 14kg liquid gold worth Tk 8 crore from their possession.
The three have been identified as Md Riazul Hasan, 46, Mohammad Amin, 35, and Mokaram Khan, 33.
Read:Man held with 52 gold bars at Dhaka airport
Md Ziaul Haque, additional superintendent of AAP, a specialised police unit in charge of airport security, told UNB that the three were held on a tip-off.
“Acting on the tip off, we intercepted the trio after they got off from a Turkish Airlines flight that landed at the airport from Dubai via Istanbul around 4.30am," he said.
“The gold were liquified by a special process and kept in paste form,” the additional SP added.
Imported cattle seized at Dhaka airport
Customs officials on Monday seized 18 Brahman-breed cows at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The animals were later handed over to the Livestock Department, Md Abdus Sadek, deputy commissioner (preventive) of Dhaka Customs House, told UNB on Tuesday.
Read:Man held at Dhaka airport with Tk1.06cr gold
“The herd was imported from the US and arrived on Monday afternoon on a Turkish Airlines flight. We seized them as the import of Brahman-breed cows is not legal in the country,” the Deputy commissioner added.
He also said that the herd will temporarily be kept at the Central Cow Breeding and Dairy Farm in Savar under the custody of the Livestock Department.
Read: 7 held as 119 dead chickens seized from restaurant near Dhaka airport
“We’ll wait for 20-21 days. If no one claims them, we will take further legal action,” Sadek said.