Passengers at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) are still facing serious difficulties in completing their immigration process. Thousands of outgoing and incoming passengers are being harassed and humiliated in many ways at the airport every day due to mismanagement, irresponsibility and inefficiency of the authorities concerned.
HSIA deals with 80 percent of the country’s air traffic as most people like to use this airport. Prime Minister’s Private Industry and Investment Affairs Adviser Salman F Rahman and State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali recently visited the airport and expressed utter dismay over passengers’ harassments. They had directed the authorities concerned to take departmental action against the officials found showing negligence in performing duties at the airport.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina reiterated that the government would not tolerate any harassment of passengers at the country’s airports. But the situation has not improved as many people have complained that they have to pay for immigration services.
The customs
and immigration officials of
the airport must serve the
passengers maintaining professionalism
Passengers usually are harassed and humiliated in baggage, customs and immigration areas. Incoming passengers specially those who work in different foreign countries including Middle East, Europe, USA, Canada and Australia are being humiliated in many ways due to luggage loss and misbehavior by a section of officials. If such allegations are found to be true, strict action should be taken against immigration officials immediately in this regard.
Most passengers have to wait for long to get out of the airport with their luggage and other valuables due to poor ground handling. When two or three aircraft land at the same time the authorities concerned fail to handle the rush due to inadequate logistic support, manpower and modern equipment. While over 130 aircrafts land and take off at HSIA every day, the airport fails to provide boarding bridges to most of the aircraft. As a result the passengers are forced to land in the Bay area leading to a serious backlog and sufferings of the passengers.
The customs and immigration officials of the airport must serve the passengers maintaining professionalism. Customs checking of transit passengers should be completed on priority basis. If necessary, separate desks should be arranged for the transit passengers. Therefore, all concerned must carry out their assigned duties and responsibilities in order to ensure quality services for passengers at the airport.