With the new European Union rules in place that requires Bangladesh to check its cargo at a third country location before entering its market, the BGMEA is apprehensive of negative impacts on both its image and cost of exports, reports bdnews24.com.President Siddiqur Rahman told bdnews24.com that he talked with the EU Ambassador in Dhaka Pierre Mayaudon on Tuesday about the issue.”I hope things will be okay shortly, but this type of decision creates a negative image and also increases the costs of sending goods for a third country checks,” he said.The EU is the largest export destination for Bangladesh where all its products enjoy duty-free market access.The EU ambassador earlier on Monday informed the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, CAAB, of its decision that airlines that transport cargo from Bangladesh need to conduct additional screening for explosives in a third country.If the additional detection is not possible in the Dhaka airport, officials say those checks will have to be done at the point of transit, such as Dubai, Istanbul or Doha, before entering the EU.Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon told bdnews24.com that “the EU decision came all on a sudden”.”We have informed the prime minister and the foreign ministry of the EU decision,” he said.”The EU has told us to take some additional measures in the airport. The CAAB chairman informed them what we are doing right now.”They want us to ensure machines for explosives detection, 100 percent search in the cargo belt, and complete scanning of cargos,” Menon said.The process of installing ‘special scanning machines’ is alredy underway after the UK’s ban on a direct cargo flight from Bangladesh last year on security grounds.After the suspension, Bangladesh has hired a British company to improve the security mechanism.The civil aviation minister said the scanning machines would be installed by this month.The BGMEA president, however, said during his discussion with the EU ambassador, he suggested him to check whether searching by dogs would do for the time being before the machines are installed.
