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Sunday | November 08, 2026 | Dhaka
Direct NY flight uncertain

US wants more security at HSIA

 New Nation
 Published: 12:00 AM, 22 January 2016

Shah Alam Nur :Resumption of the Dhaka-New York direct flights has become uncertain again due to shortage of security measures, although the government had a plan to resume flights between the two cities by 2015. A delegation of the US Anti-Terrorism Bureau visited Bangladesh recently had conveyed their concern over the airport security to the Bangladesh government. It will be difficult to resume Dhaka-New York direct flights if the security measures at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka are not tightened, said the delegates. Operating flights to the US require a country to have ‘Category 1’ rating from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Biman stopped flying to New York in 1996 after the FAA slapped a ban on Bangladesh in the absence of the rating. Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon told The New Nation on Thursday that the government has chalked out a time-bound work plan to beef up security in the airport. He said the government has already increased security measures in the airport after it sent the work plan to the UK on January 11. He said a special 100-member team of the air force, police and Ansars will be in charge of ensuring security in the airport, until the proposed specialised Airport Security Force (ASF) is set up. According to the work plan, the ASF will comprise some 250 members from the air force, police, Rapid Action Battalion and the Armed Police Battalion.Source said, during its three-day visit to Dhaka from January 10 to 12, the three-member US delegation held two separate meetings with the officials of Foreign Ministry and the Civil Aviation Ministry.In their meetings, the US delegation attached importance to increasing security measures in the airport and said the security in the airport will get special attention in future regarding cooperation to combat terrorism.The US delegation in their meetings referred to the recommendations put forth by the UK delegation and said they also take the UK recommendations into cognizance.With ensuring foolproof security in the Dhaka airport, the standard of the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority should be upgraded to first class from second class. If not, the flights of the Dhaka-New York route would not resume soon.Civil Aviation Secretary Khorshed Alam Chowdhury said the ministry has planned to purchase equipment worth Tk 90 crore and recruit the required manpower. He said security has already been beefed up on all flights of the Dhaka-London route as part of measures to strengthen security in the airport. “Apart of ensuring utilisation of all scanners, the number of close circuit cameras has been increased in all the areas where the passengers usually have access,” he said.He also said necessary equipment, including vehicle scanners, have been installed at the airport.