Biman to buy Tk 1,000 crore equipment, body cameras for ground staff

Biman Bangladesh for the first time has taken an initiative to introduce body-worn camera for its ground staff to get rid of the long-standing allegations of pilferage of valuables from luggage and harassment of passengers at the Dhaka airport.

The national flag carrier has also taken measures to procure around 3,600 equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore to ensure world-class ground handling services at the newly-built third terminal of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA).

Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim shared the information with the reporters today while showing various ground equipment and commissioning of new ground handling equipment at the airport.

About the introduction of the body cameras, the Biman boss said: "We will be able to record every millisecond of the activities of the ground staff of Biman."

"If any passenger files any complaint, be it for the missing of luggage or theft of valuables from the luggage or harassment, we will be able to show them every millisecond of the movement of their luggage and other respective activities."

There is no scope for the ground staff to manipulate the function of the body camera, he said.

"We want to ensure 100 percent safety of the luggage of the passengers, as we have taken such measures to gain confidence of the passengers."

In the first phase, 105 body cameras will be purchased from Japan.

"The ground staff has to enter inside the cargo hold of an aircraft to load and unload the baggage items. Body-worn cameras will ensure total monitoring of their activities at the sensitive area," Sirajul Islam, a security assistant of Biman, told The Daily Star.

There are widespread allegations of damaging or pilferage of valuables from the passengers' luggage by the ground staff at the HSIA.

From now on, the Biman staff will perform their duties by wearing body cameras and none will be able to turn off the camera while s/he will be on duty, Islam said.

A central monitoring cell will control the cameras.

The Biman managing director said currently Biman extends ground service to 160 flights a day.

After procuring the 3,600 equipment worth Tk 1,000 crore, Biman will be able to provide uninterrupted ground handling services of the best quality to 200 to 240 flights daily by 2024, he said.

Biman earns around Tk 1,000-1,200 crore every year through providing ground handling services at the Dhaka airport.

The Biman chief said 70 percent of the equipment has already been added to Biman while the rest will be handed over in the next three months.