Ilias Kanchan passes airport security with gun, probe body formed

Security at Dhaka airport has been confronted with fresh questions after a bag containing a revolver went undetected during luggage scanning on Tuesday.

The breach was “unintentionally” made by former film star and now a champion of road safety issues Ilias Kanchan, within two weeks of a hijack attempt.

Talking to The Daily Star today, Kanchan said he was flying from Dhaka to Chattogram last evening. He passed the heavy luggage scanner undetected.

“I realised I had a gun in my laptop bag at the body checking point. I surrendered it following due procedures before flight,” he said.

Kanchan had a licensed 9mm pistol with nine live rounds. He produced legal documents of possession and received back the firearm at Chattogram.

“I forgot about my pistol. When I came to the body checking point, I remembered about it and informed the authorities about it myself,” he said.

Beni Madhab, deputy director at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told The Daily Star the gun on Kanchan was “detected at the second checkpoint.”

A top official of aviation security at the airport told The Daily Star a three-member probe body has been formed to investigate how a gun bypassed security.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) sources have confirmed that a staff of the airport has been suspended for negligence over the issue.