A team of National Security Intelligence (NSI) claimed to have seized 2.5kg gold worth Tk1.67 crore at Chattogram's Shah Amanat International Airport from a United Arab Emirates-returnee man. The man was identified as Jasim Uddin from Chattogram's Rangunia, Taslim Ahmed, director of Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram, said. "He came to Dhaka on an Air Arabia flight from the UAE Wednesday morning." Read more: Gold worth over Tk 8.5cr seized in Chuadanga, Jhenaidah; one detained "Jasim tried to smuggle the gold by turning them into a coil of a cooking machine," Taslim added. "He was handed over to Patenga Police Station and a case was filed against him."

After nearly 21 hours, flight operations at Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, and Barishal airports resumed Tuesday (Oct 25, 2022) at noon. The Civil Aviation Authority issued a notification in this regard on Tuesday. Earlier, flight services to and from the airports were suspended at 3 pm on Monday due to cyclone Sitrang. Read Cyclone Sitrang: Flight operations at Chattogram, Cox’s Bazar, Barishal airports suspended As a result, several flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, US Bangla and NOVOAIR on domestic routes were cancelled. Meanwhile, inland water transport operations resumed this morning after being suspended for around 24 hours due to inclement weather caused by cyclone Sitrang. Bangladesh Inland Water Transport Authority (BIWTA) has ordered the resumption of vessel operations from 9.45am as all the riverine ports now come under local cautionary signal number 1, said BIWTA public relations officer Mobarak Hossain. Read Cyclone Sitrang: Dhaka-Khulna & Dhaka-Barishal highways reopen after 10 hours Cyclone Sitrang moved north-northeastwards very fast and and now lies over Dhaka-Cumilla-Brahmanbaria and adjoining areas as a land depression, according to the Bangladesh Meteorological Department (BMD).

A trolleyman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) was detained with four gold bars worth Tk32 lakh at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram Saturday, authorities said. The detainee was identified as Md Ismail of Hathazari upazila. Read: Man held with Tk. 1.8 crore worth gold On information, Ismail was held at the parking area of the airport around 10:30am, Wing Commander M Farhad Hossain Khan, director of Shah Amanat Airport, said. The gold bars were seized from the bags he was carrying on his trolley, he added. "Legal actions will be taken against Ismail."

A Bangladeshi national has been detained with 1kg of gold at Shah Amanat International Airport, Customs officials said on Thursday. The detainee has been identified as Mizanur Rahman, a resident of Lohagarah upazila. Read: 10 gold bars seized at Sylhet airport Sultan Mahmud, duty officer of the Customs Intelligence Department, said that Mizanur arrived from Dubai on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight this morning. "Tipped off, our men stopped Mizanur for frisking as he was passing through the green channel, and seized 1kg of gold, liquor and cigarettes from his possession," he said. "Mizanur is being questioned," the officer added.

Customs officials detained a man and seized 1.244 kgs of gold and nine kgs of lead at Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport on Thursday. The detainee is Masud Rana of Jamalpur district. AKM Sultan Mahmud, deputy director of Customs Intelligence, said a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines BGB-148 landed at the airport around 7 am from Dubai. Suspecting movement of Rana, a passenger of the flight, the Customs officials challenged him and seized 1.245 kgs of gold and nine kgs of lead from his luggage. Also read: Man detained with 11 gold bars at Sylhet airport Process is on to take legal step against the passenger, said Mahmud.  

BNP leader Aslam Chowdhury’s brother Amjad was arrested on Thursday night at Chattogram airport as he allegedly tried to flee the country. Immigration police at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport nabbed Amjad around 10.30pm as he attempted to board a flight to Dubai defying the bar on his leaving Bangladesh in a bank fraud case, officials said on Friday. "Amjad was brought to Sitakunda model police station after the arrest. He is being interrogated," said Suman Banik, officer-in-charge of Sitakunda model police station. Also read: BNP leader Aslam Chy indicted in embezzlement case On July 17, 2016, the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), filed the case against BNP’s joint general secretary Aslam, his wife Jamila Najnin Mowla, and his brothers -- Jashim and Amjad -- for defrauding AB Bank of Tk 325.74 crore. On August 7, 2017, ACC's deputy director in Dhaka Md Mosharraf Hossain Mridha filed a chargesheet in the case after investigation. Sheikh Golam Mowla, deputy director of ACC, said that Aslam is currently in jail but all other accused in the case are out on bail. “But the court has barred them from leaving the country,” he said. Also read: BNP's Aslam Chowdhury gets bail in two 2013 sabotage cases As many as 15 other cases are already registered against the two brothers, he added.

Customs officials on Tuesday seized 46 gold bars, weighing 5.33 kg, at Shah Amanat International Airport. Tipped off, a team of Customs Officials conducted a drive at the ground servicing area of Biman Bangladesh Airlines and seized the gold bars, said Wing Commander Farhad Hossain, director of the airport. The gold bars worth Tk 3.54 crore were concealed in a wheel of a vehicle parked in the area. Read: 4 held with 11 kg gold at Sylhet airport

The operation of a RT-PCR lab to conduct Covid-19 tests for departing passengers started at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Monday, three months after launching its operation at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. Prof Dr Ahmedul Kabir, Additional Director General (Administration) of the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) inaugurated the RT-PCR lab at the Chattogram Airport. Earlier, the trial operation of the RT-PCR lab to test Covid-19 started on December 29 at the airport. Also read: Ministry to bear Covid test expenses of UAE-bound passengers With the opening of the RT-PCR lab, people can now go to the UAE from Chattogram airport, too. The UAE made it mandatory for returning migrant workers to get a rapid PCR test six hours before flying from a Bangladesh airport. Dr Kabir said those who are scheduled to go to the UAE can undergo Covid-19 tests at the airport and they have to reach the airport six hours before their departure to provide their samples. Besides, they have to come with their passports, tickets, Covid-19 vaccine certificates and the photocopies of their visas. “This lab offers free tests. A seven-member committee has been formed to ensure smooth operation of the lab in a coordinated way and the test reports will be available within three hours of collecting samples,” he said. Also read: Covid testing at Dhaka airport awaits UAE’s approval: State Minister Five booths have already been set up outside the airport to facilitate registration. Once the registration is done, the passengers will go to their respective booths for providing samples, said Dr Kabir. 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.

Customs officials on Saturday detained a private security guard deployed at the Chattogram international airport for trying to smuggle in 80 gold bars worth Tk 5 crore. The detainee has been identified as Belal. Airport manager Wing Commander Farhad Hossain said that based on a tip-off, Belal was challenged by a Customs team as he attempted to leave Hazrat Shaha Amanat International Airport with the gold bars. READ: Man held with 25 gold bars at Dhaka airport "Upon frisking, our team found the 80 gold bars, weighing 10 kg, in his possession. We suspect that the gold was brought to this country on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight that landed from Dubai this morning," he said. The market value of the seized gold bars is  Tk 5 crore. “Efforts are on to initiate legal action against Belal,” said Farhad. READ: Snatching gold bars: 5 Feni DB officials remanded again

Customs Intelligence officials along with the members of National Security Intelligence (NSI) on Tuesday detained a man along with 252 cartons of foreign cigarettes worth Tk 7.5 lakh from Hazrat Shah Amanat International Airport. The detainee is Anisul Islam, a resident of Lohagarah upazila. Read: Banned Indian drugs worth Tk 30 lakh seized at Benapole Tipped off, a Customs  Intelligence team challenged Anisul, who came from Dubai by a flight of Biman Bangladesh Airlines in the morning, said director of the airport Wing Commander Farhad Hossain Khan. Later, they seized 252 cartons of cigarettes from his luggage.