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APBn at odds with aviation force
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was found broken. The APBn logo from the office gate was also removed, in which, a sign shows “BAF Task Force”.
Ershad Ahmed, officer-in-charge of the Airport Police Station, told The Daily Star, “We have informed the CAAB chairman about the GD. Both are government bodies, and the CAAB chairman is responsible for handling airport-related issues. We expect the chairman to resolve the matter.”
NO MAJOR DETECTION IN THREE MONTHS
APBn officials say they had done great work when they were allowed to work freely.
According to the database, the APBn has seized 1,008 kilogrammes of gold, 3.54 lakh yaba, 58,621 cartons of cigarettes, 2,928 litres of liquor, and 47,737 kilogrammes of cosmetics.
But now, confusion arises while preventing criminal offences.
For instance, on October 26, two Chinese nationals and two Bangladeshi women were allegedly found involved in an altercation in the departure area of HSIA.
The women were suspected to be victims of trafficking, but the AVSEC members released them all after taking an undertaking, whereas the matter should have been addressed through legal proceedings.
MINISTRY INQUIRES ON CAAB AUTHORITY
In another development, the finance ministry has asked the CAAB to explain in writing under whose direction the members of the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) have been deployed at HSIA.
Signed by the finance ministry deputy secretary Syed Ali Bin Hasan, the letter was sent to the CAAB chairman on October 29.
The letter, a copy of which The Daily Star obtained, reads, “Whether the consent of the chief adviser, who’s in charge of the Ministry of Defense, has been obtained regarding the inclusion of 1,450 members of Bangladesh Air Force under the In Aid to Civil Power Act? Is there any scope to engage members of the Air Force under the act as per CAAB rules or regulations?”
The letter also made inquiries on the relevant rules for CAAB to disburse allowance to Air Force members engaged under the In Aid to Civil Power Act, how much money from CAAB’s fund will be used to pay their allowances, and whether this amount is consistent with CAAB’s financial income and expenditure.
In another letter on November 3, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism also sought clarification from the CAAB chairman on the increase in manpower engaged in airport security.
Regarding the letters, CAAB chairman Monjur Kabir said, “It is routine work. The chief adviser has approved the deployment of Air Force members in aid to civil power. We have already responded to the ministry query.”

Shafik Rehman
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Mahmudur Rahman, former editor of Amar Desh, was also sentenced to seven years in the same case. He is currently out on bail. Three others—Mohammad Ullah Mamun, his son Rizvi Ahmed Caesar, and businessman Mizanur Rahman Bhuiyan—were also handed seven-year jail terms in absentia, along with Tk 5,000 fines or an additional three months in jail for non-payment.
According to the charges, Shafik and Mahmudur masterminded the plot, aided by Mamun, while Rizvi bribed an FBI agent for information on Joy.
The case, filed by the Detective Branch in 2015, accused several BNP leaders of conspiring to abduct and kill Joy, the ICT adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
Shafik, 85, a British citizen, is a veteran journalist who worked for several media outlets.