Germany has imposed restriction on direct cargo flights from Bangladesh until their aviation security experts gave green signals over existing security arrangement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. Following the restriction, German flag carrier Lufthansa on Sunday did not transport about 60 tonne cargo, mostly apparels, from the airport, officials told New Age. The exporters had to take their goods back to the factories and warehouses, Bangladesh Garment Manufacturers and Exporters Association officials said. ‘The Garman aviation security experts will review our security arrangement in a couple of days…We have told our counterparts about what arrangement we have improved already,’ said civil aviation and tourism minister Rashed Khan Menon after an emergency meeting with top officials of Civil Aviation Authorities, Bangladesh and Biman Bangladesh Airlines Monday evening. He, however, said that there was no direct correspondence between civil aviation authorities or the aviation ministries of the two countries over the issue. The minister said Lufthansa officials informed Biman authorities describing their position. Menon said that the cargo village at Dhaka airport already obtained the status of a third country European Union aviation security validated Regulated Agent, also known as RA3. Biman managing director and chief executive officer AM Mosaddique Ahmed declined to comment. Another Biman official said that the Garman aviation department in a letter signed on June 24 informed their decision and prescribed a set of recommendations on the basis of what they would resume the direct cargo flights. The official said that Garman Federal Aviation Authority in the letter stated that all cargoes and mail consignments originating from Bangladesh posed a risk to aviation security based on information provided by their law enforcement authority and intelligence services. The Biman official said that Garman authorities called for immediate installation of a number of heavy electronic aviation security equipment including explosive trace detection equipment. Another Biman official said that Lufthansa only carried direct cargo between Germany and Bangladesh once in week and last flight was on Sunday. No version from German federal aviation authority’s spokesperson Cornelia Cramer was made until 10:00pm on Monday. BGMEA president Siddiqur Rahman said they learnt that it was a kind of misunderstanding between the authorities of both the countries.‘If the restriction continues, the exporters will be affected,’ he added. Bangladesh exports goods of nearly $5 billion to Germany a year. Of the total export, 95 per cent are apparels. A significant quantity of goods from Bangladesh is carried to Germany by air. The latest ban came few months after the British government imposed a ban on Dhaka-London direct cargo flight from March 8 stating poor security arrangement at Dhaka airport. Earlier in December 2015, Australia imposed a similar ban on direct cargo flights from Bangladesh on security grounds. On May 9, the civil aviation and tourism minister announced that Australia had relaxed the ban after nearly six months but said that air cargo would require further screening in a third country.
