Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport faced a heightened security alert following two separate bomb threats within a single day, both of which were later determined to be hoaxes. The security operations, although thorough, revealed no explosives or other suspicious items, and airport authorities have since resumed normal operations, though security measures remain elevated.
The first threat was received on Wednesday, January 22, at 4:37 am, when the Armed Police Battalion (APBn) duty officer received a message on WhatsApp from a Pakistani phone number. The message claimed that 34 kilograms of high-powered explosives were aboard Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-536, which was traveling from Rome to Dhaka. The flight, upon landing, was parked at an open area near the third terminal to ensure minimal disruption to ongoing airport activities. Passengers disembarked without their hand luggage and were escorted to the terminal while a thorough search of the aircraft and its cargo hold was conducted.
Security teams, including the Bomb Disposal Unit, police, and sniffer dogs, performed an exhaustive check, but no explosives were found. Around 9:20 am, the flight was declared safe, and passengers were allowed to collect their belongings. Authorities took extra precautions to ensure that none of the passengers lost personal items during the process, including food, beverages, and services provided while the check was underway.
Later in the day, at 12:30 pm, a second threat was reported. An unknown Malaysian phone number sent another WhatsApp message to the APBn duty officer, this time including a photo of a piece of luggage that allegedly contained explosives. Following this, another round of checks was initiated according to protocol, but again, no hazardous items were discovered.
The security measures were extensive. Hundreds of big polythene bags were brought in to store passengers’ hand luggage, and each item was carefully checked, with seat numbers noted to ensure everything was returned to the correct passenger. The bags were scanned with an X-ray machine, and some were opened for manual inspection. The Bomb Disposal Unit’s scanners and sniffer dogs were used to verify the safety of the cargo hold. Despite the thorough checks, by 1:30 pm, authorities declared that the threat had been cleared, confirming that nothing dangerous had been found.
In response to these hoaxes, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and other law enforcement agencies have pledged to continue their investigations into the source of the threats. CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Monjur Kabir Bhuiyan confirmed that the authorities were looking into the individuals who sent the false information, noting that while it is possible to use a Pakistani WhatsApp number from Bangladesh, such threats could carry serious legal consequences. “The law in Bangladesh has a provision that can punish those making threats with up to life in prison,” he said.
As security operations continued, multiple agencies, including the Air Force, police, Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), and Ansar, collaborated to ensure the safety of the passengers and the integrity of the airport. Despite the inconvenience and the increased workload for the security agencies, the situation was resolved without incident, allowing normal operations to resume by the afternoon.
Authorities have urged the public to remain vigilant but assured that the airport’s security protocol is robust enough to manage such threats effectively. The incident serves as a reminder of the rigorous procedures in place to ensure the safety of passengers, even in the face of hoaxes that disrupt routine operations.
