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A legal notice has been issued demanding that the entire baggage-handling process at Bangladesh’s airports be brought under CCTV surveillance and broadcast live to passengers to prevent luggage theft.
Supreme Court lawyer Md Mahmudul Hasan Mamun issued the notice on Monday in the public interest, addressing the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC), Biman Bangladesh Airlines and airport authorities.
The notice alleged that passengers, including tourists, foreign diplomats, businesspeople and expatriate workers, have long faced luggage theft.
It said valuables such as mobile phones, laptops, jewellery and cash are allegedly stolen after bags are unloaded from aircraft cargo holds and before they reach baggage belts.
It further alleged that inadequate surveillance and CCTV blind spots in runway and baggage-sorting areas enable some ground-handling staff and loaders to commit such thefts.
The notice called for the entire process—from unloading luggage from aircraft holds and loading it onto trolleys to transporting it across the ramp and delivering it to baggage belts—to be covered by high-quality CCTV cameras. It also proposed displaying live footage on large screens in arrival lounges so passengers can monitor the handling of their luggage.
It further demanded that any baggage inspection by customs or security agencies be conducted under camera surveillance and shown live to passengers.
The notice also called for a transparent, merit-based recruitment process for loaders, ground-handling staff and security personnel, with active oversight by the ACC.
Authorities were given 10 days to take necessary administrative and legal measures. Otherwise, the notice warned that a public interest litigation petition would be filed before the High Court under Article 102 of the Constitution.
