Air cargo flights to UK suspended

The ban on all air cargo flights out of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport to the UK has just come into effect on security grounds. This spells disaster for exporters, not only readymade garments but also the lucrative export of fresh and processed foodstuffs that include vegetables, fish and fruits. The UK is home to the largest Bangladeshi expatriate community and a ban on flights out to that country has a lot of businesses worried sick. Why did we let things come to this stage? The UK is the second country after Australia to slap a ban like this. And although this is being touted as temporary by Bangladeshi authorities, the cost in terms of reputation and business will have far reaching implications.

We are informed by media reports that the Civil Aviations Authority of Bangladesh has been working towards ensuring foolproof security but this has come too little too late. We should have moved faster to procure the requisite security equipment immediately after October 2015 when the UK put Shahjalal Airport on a list of 38 airports as being too vulnerable in security terms, but we did not pay enough heed. The recommendations for engaging security personnel to operate cargo complex using modern scanning machines were not taken seriously enough.

It is high time we got our act together. There is a review coming up by a UK team on March 13 and we need to show our good intent to get the message across that authorities are working seriously on addressing security loopholes. A ban such as this is the last thing our exporters need.