Dhaka airport scores 94%, Sylhet 98% in UK aviation security audit

Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) scored 94 percent and Sylhet’s Osmani International Airport (OIA) 98 percent in the latest aviation security assessment by the United Kingdom’s Department for Transport (DfT), according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).

The scores marked an improvement from last year, when HSIA received 93 percent and OIA 94 percent, CAAB said in a press release today. Cargo security retained 100 percent compliance in the Additional Measures Assessment.

The audit, conducted with particular emphasis on security arrangements for UK-bound passengers and cargo, reviewed various aspects of aviation security at the two airports, including passenger, cargo and mail security.

The findings come as Bangladesh continues to face additional security requirements for Europe-bound cargo and mail under the European Union’s High Risk Cargo and Mail, or HRCM, regime.

Bangladesh has been subject to the additional requirements since 2017, resulting in extra security procedures, processing time and costs for cargo and mail destined for Europe.

The release said the latest DfT findings and the high level of compliance in cargo security could be considered supporting evidence of improvements in Bangladesh’s security arrangements.

It acknowledged that any decision to withdraw the country’s HRCM status would depend on the relevant authorities’ own risk assessment and formal procedures.

The DfT assessment also comes ahead of an audit by the International Civil Aviation Organisation under its Universal Security Audit Programme (Continuous Monitoring Approach).

The audit is scheduled for October 26 to November 6 and is expected to examine aviation security management and implementation at CAAB headquarters, HSIA and OIA.

CAAB said preparations for the DfT audit, along with observations made during the assessment, would help the authority identify areas requiring improvement before the ICAO audit.