A cleaner has been detained at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka with 32 gold bars hidden inside his shoes.

Jonathon Mukti Barikder (34) was held from the Concourse Hall around 9:20am today, Md Alamgir Hossain, additional superintendent (media) of Airport Armed Police Battalion (AAPBn) told The Daily Star.

"Barikder had gone inside an Emirates aircraft for cleaning after the passengers got off following landing from Dubai around 7:55am. When he came out, APBn members searched him and found 16 gold bars inside sole of each shoe," the official said.

"During primary investigation, Barikder said that a co-worker Mamun gave him the gold bars to hand them over to their duty in-charge Atique. He was promised Tk 20,000 for the job," he said.

The market value of the gold weighing 3.7 kilogramme is Tk 1.85 crore, according to the official.