DHAKA: Bangladesh’s two major export destinations in the EU, UK and Germany, are yet to lift the ban on direct cargo flights from Bangladesh even though the government claims safety measures at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport have improved.
Meanwhile, the ban has impacted shippers, exporters and freight forwarders as mandatory rescanning in third country has increased transportation costs.
“Every time experts from the UK and Germany come, they say the same thing, that the security measures at the airport have improved significantly but more needs to be done,” said Rashed Khan Menon, minister for civil aviation and tourism.
The ministry hired more manpower and enlisted British firm Redline Aviation Security in March last year to provide training on security control and scanning baggage.
Six new screening machines will be installed at the airport next month, he said, adding that the civil aviation ministry is in the process of recruiting more staff.
“Millions of dollars have already been spent,” he said, adding that he has been communicating with both the countries through the political and diplomatic channels but nothing seems to be working.
“We are still continuing our efforts so that the ban is lifted as soon as possible,” Menon added.
The security measures taken by the government at the airport are not adequate to satisfy the UK and German experts and to meet the European security standards, said an exporter asking not to be named.
“This is why the ban on direct cargo was not lifted by the UK and Germany. Security is a very important factor in the supply chain and no country compromises on it.”
The exporter said there are shortages of screening machines and skilled manpower at the cargo village.
The job of airport automation is yet to be done, said Mohammed Mansur, general secretary of Bangladesh Fruits, Vegetables and Allied Products Exporters’ Association.
“We keep hearing that the whole process would be automated soon but it is taking so long,” he said, adding that there is still a lack of many equipment needed to make the facility of international standards.
Both the countries imposed the ban within a space of two months in the first half of last year — and for the same reasons. The measures at the Dhaka airport could not guarantee a secure supply chain that meets the European regulations, they said.
Consequently, cargoes bound for Germany and the UK are now re-screened at a third destination, preferably Dubai, Qatar, Thailand, Turkey, Kuwait and Bahrain.
The additional step means the exporters have to work with the strictest of timelines to maintain the lead time: re-screening takes up an additional day or two.
The foreign airlines too have hiked the freight charges by five cents a kilogram for cargoes from Bangladesh to Germany and the UK.
In 2016, 29,779 tons of cargoes were sent by air to Germany, which is the highest, according to Bangladesh Freight Forwarders Association (BAFFA). To the UK, 13,969 tons were shipped.
“The ban on direct cargo flights from Bangladesh to the UK and Germany had a disastrous effect on our exports,” said Nurul Amin, director of BAFFA.
Bangladesh has a target to hit $50 billion in garment exports by 2021, but the continued ban to Germany and the UK would put a damper on the plan. The country exports more than $3 billion worth of garment items to the UK in a year and more than $5 billion to Germany.
(Credit: thedailystar)
