CAAB Issues First Aviation Security Order Ahead of October 26 ICAO Audit
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The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has issued the country’s first dedicated Air Navigation Order on aviation security ahead of an International Civil Aviation Organization audit scheduled to begin on October 26.
Gazetted on September 3 under the Civil Aviation Act, 2017, the order establishes binding rules and procedures for aviation operations, making violations punishable offences under the act.
Codifying Airport and Passenger Rules
The new instrument consolidates requirements for airlines, ground handling staff, baggage screening, aircraft access, and cargo processing. It establishes a four-tier classification system for disruptive passenger behavior. That scale extends from verbal threats to attempted cockpit breaches.
Airlines now hold explicit authority to refuse check-in or offload passengers at boarding gates. Ground handlers must remove hold luggage and de-manifest passengers denied travel before departure.
Cabin baggage rules formally cap liquid containers at 100ml inside a single one-litre transparent bag. Passengers who decline physical screening or baggage checks face immediate denial of boarding.
Staffing Gaps and Equipment Upgrades
Special Branch police vetting is now mandatory for all personnel with unescorted access to security-restricted zones. Meanwhile, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh continues to rely on the Armed Police Battalion for perimeter and landside security while internal hiring continues.
Procurement teams have added 25 explosive trace detectors sourced from China, alongside dual-view baggage screening systems and four full-body scanners at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
If I cannot answer that question, I lose marks, and that affects the overall grading,said Air Commodore Md Asif Iqbal, member for security at the authority.
Replacing the 1984 Framework
Dhaka is using the security order to overhaul the Civil Aviation Rules, 1984, which have governed the sector for four decades. The older framework left multiple operational directives without direct statutory backing, a deficiency flagged during previous multilateral oversight rounds.
For regional airlines and cargo carriers operating into Dhaka, the shift standardizes compliance checks across passenger terminals and freight sheds. Legal clarity reduces operational discretion at checkpoints. However, equipment shortages at secondary hubs remain an active bottleneck for ground operators.
The International Civil Aviation Organization begins its on-site assessment of Bangladesh’s aviation security systems on October 26.