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Idle HSIA scanners create cargo backlog


Published : 25 Mar 2022 10:28 PM

Inoperative scanners at the cargo village at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport are again creating a backlog of cargo. 

This has been an alarming situation for the exports as these scanners have been damaged for the fourth time in the last seven months. 

As these cargo scanners are damaged again for the past 12 days, exporters’ sufferings are mounting as they fear losing export orders in the coming days. 

Exporters said, each day they are incurring Tk 5 crore loss due to the damaged scanner in Cargo Village. Foreign buyers are leaving Bangladesh and have started sourcing alternative countries.

While visiting the cargo village at the airport, it was found that long queues of goods are kept here and there at the cargo village. Few perishable goods have already gone rotten and spread a bad smell there. 

A vegetable exporter at the airport, Shameem Akhando told this correspondent, “It's been 11 days since the scanners have been damaged. Vegetables are not being sent to their export destinations. Buyers have started sourcing other countries as we are unable to send them their order in time. Several foreign buyers have already started to take vegetables from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and other countries.” 

Bangladesh Fruits Vegetables Allied Products Exporters Association President SM Jahangir Hossain earlier told Bangladesh Post, “At the time our agricultural and other perishable goods’ exports are increasing to foreign destinations, the repeated scanner damages are intensifying our sufferings.”

BKMEA Executive President Mohammad Hatem told Bangladesh Post that they are facing trouble sending consignments to European countries as the Explosive Detection Scanner (EDS) broke down again.

“We are sending the goods by scanning them through other country’s scanners. This is causing a three to five days delay in shipment. The problem should be solved on an urgent basis,” he said.   

However, officials informed that an initiative has been taken to repair these scanners by bringing in engineers from the United States. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and officials at the airport said it would not be possible to repair these devices even in the next 25 days.

HSIA Executive Director Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan informed the media that efforts were being made to resolve the issue. It is true that it is not possible to send goods to an EU destination as a scanner was damaged in Cargo Village. However, sending goods to other countries is normal. Hopefully the machine will be fixed in a short time.

At present vegetables, fish, fruits etc. are being exported from Bangladesh to different countries including UK, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Dubai, Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Kuwait, and Europe. In October 2021, 2108.4 tons and in November, 1729 tons of perishable goods were exported abroad through airport cargo.