APBn to resume security duties at Shahjalal Airport

The Armed Police Battalion (APBn) will once again take charge of security inside Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, ending the temporary deployment of Air Force personnel, who will now return to their respective units after completing their duties.

This decision was finalized in a high-level meeting held last Wednesday at the Chief Adviser’s office. According to government sources, the meeting resolved that APBN will resume responsibility for security inside the airport terminal, while Air Force members will withdraw and return to their parent organizations.

The Air Force had been deployed temporarily following the sudden abandonment of posts by nearly a thousand Ansar personnel during the Ansar mutiny in August 2024. At the same time, the APBN was relieved from their duties inside the terminal.

The transition comes amid tensions between APBN and the Aviation Security (AvSec) unit, with APBn accusing AvSec of removing goods from their airside office spaces, leading to a formal police complaint. Passenger harassment allegations and counterclaims over leaked videos have further complicated matters. Recently, a letter from CAAB security member Air Commodore Asif Iqbal to the APBn chief, alleging breaches of protocol, added another layer to the dispute.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Adviser’s Special Assistant on International Affairs Lutfe Siddiqi, included Police Inspector General Baharul Alam, Chief Adviser’s office secretary M Saifullah Panna, Civil Aviation Ministry Secretary Nasrin Jahan, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq, CAAB security member Air Commodore Asif Iqbal, and other senior officials.

In his remarks, Lutfe Siddiqi emphasized the need for professionalism and mutual respect among government agencies working toward common goals.

The meeting resulted in six key decisions, including the establishment of unified command and control of the airport under CAAB’s sole authority. Both APBN and AvSec will perform their assigned duties under this structure. APBN is expected to begin operations inside the terminal as soon as possible. Additionally, the IGP and CAAB chairman will hold further discussions to address operational challenges. The Air Force task force will withdraw upon completing their assignments. Weekly security meetings will be mandatory at all airports. Finally, the Civil Aviation Ministry may propose restructuring CAAB into separate operator and regulator roles as part of long-term reforms.