Shahjalal Airport passes issued on recommendations and verbal orders

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital is one of the country’s most sensitive and important facilities. Thousands of passengers and hundreds of officials and employees pass through it every day. Yet temporary passes to enter the airport are being issued based on verbal instructions and personal recommendations, without any specific policy in place. This has raised serious questions about the security of the country’s main airport. An internal assessment report by an intelligence agency has revealed this situation.

The report found that there is still no comprehensive online system or uniform policy for issuing temporary passes to visitors. In many cases, permission to enter the airport is being granted based on verbal instructions, personal references or recommendations from senior officials. Security analysts say such a system is risky for an international-standard airport. They warn that such a process can create security vulnerabilities because it limits the opportunity to verify applicants’ information.

Civil aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam told Agamir Somoy, “The government should always give the highest priority to the security of a KPI facility such as an airport. It is now essential to ensure that airport security and services meet international standards. Issuing passes to enter the airport without properly considering all relevant factors also indicates weaknesses in the security system.”

According to the report, 80 visitor passes were issued in just five days, from February 23 to 27, 2025. The largest number of references, or recommendations, came from officials of one particular force.

Of the 80 passes issued during those five days, 34 were issued based on references from that force; 14 on references from the Shahjalal Airport authorities, including AVSEC and DSO; 11 from CAAB headquarters; four from the Secretariat; four from private organizations; three from another security force; two from foreign embassies; two from the police; two from private banks; and the remaining passes were issued based on references from various organizations. Such a pattern is reportedly common.

An official said that even when applications are similar, not all agencies receive equal treatment. While applications from some organizations are approved quickly, various conditions are imposed on others.

However, the official responsible for the matter claimed that there had been no irregularities in the issuance of security passes since he assumed responsibility. Air Commodore Md. Asif Iqbal, member (security) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, told Agamir Somoy, “Nothing like that has happened since I took charge. Give me evidence, and I will take action. I issue permanent passes for the airport.”

Responding to a question, he said, “Temporary passes are issued by the airport manager. Sometimes there is work to be done inside the airport, and contractors’ workers need to be allowed inside. Even then, completing the online form must be mandatory.”

The report says that under the current system, temporary visitor passes can be issued with the approval of several senior officials, including the chairman, member (security), director (AVSEC) and executive director. In many cases, there is also an opportunity to issue passes based on verbal instructions without a written application.
Operations of 140 Organizations at One Airport: Currently, officials and employees of 140 government and private organizations regularly perform their duties at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. In addition to permanent security identification cards, many of them have to enter the airport at various times using temporary passes. More than 12.487 million passengers used the airport in 2024. Currently, 42 international and domestic airlines operate flights from the airport.

According to security analysts, the more transparent and technology-driven visitor management is at such a large international airport, the stronger its security will be.

Allegations of Discrimination: The internal assessment claims that references from some organizations are given greater importance, while there is reluctance to issue passes to other government agencies, with various restrictions imposed on them. The report says this could create dissatisfaction among different agencies and affect mutual coordination.

Security Risk Concerns: The report warns that because passes can be issued based on verbal instructions, the security of this KPI-designated facility could be threatened if a high-risk individual or someone with malicious intentions manages to gain entry by concealing their identity.

Experts say the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) considers access control a highly important aspect of security measures. Therefore, weaknesses in visitor management could also affect future security assessments.

The intelligence agency’s report makes several important recommendations. These include issuing all visitor passes entirely online; issuing all passes through a central authority; storing the applicant’s and recommender’s national identification numbers, mobile phone numbers and complete information; establishing clear guidelines for issuing passes; setting designated quotas for all organizations; publishing information on passes issued each month; and holding regular coordination meetings involving all relevant agencies.

Those concerned say Bangladesh’s aviation security system should be reviewed ahead of the ICAO audit. This is because airport access control, not just scanners or CCTV cameras, is also an important part of the audit. Therefore, there is now a pressing need to make the visitor pass system more transparent, technology-driven and accountable.