CAAB clarifies baggage theft claims of out-pass returnees from Saudi
Returnees found several bags cut open with contents missing, leading to confrontation with airline staff
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and airline officials have clarified that alleged missing items from the baggage of out-pass returnees arriving from Saudi Arabia stem from consolidation and handling procedures abroad, not from airport staff or airline misconduct in Dhaka.
According to a CAAB media note issued today (28 November), 78 Bangladeshi nationals arrived in Dhaka on 14 November aboard Ethiopian Airlines after being repatriated by Saudi immigration authorities via Addis Ababa.
After completing immigration and official procedures at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the passengers collected their baggage from Arrival Belt No. 1, where they found several bags cut open with contents missing, leading to confrontation with airline staff.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
CAAB said the affected passengers had been detained in Saudi Arabia for various reasons, and their belongings were handled under Saudi immigration arrangements.
Airline officials informed CAAB that similar incidents have occurred previously. They said the baggage of out-pass individuals is typically consolidated into a bulk consignment at an average of 15 kg per person, making it impossible to verify which items belong to which individual.
They added that Saudi immigration police often confiscate passengers' belongings during processing, but no inventory lists of the seized items are provided to the airline.
Such factors, they noted, result in confusion and allegations when the consolidated baggage reaches Dhaka.
CAAB further stated that with Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport's baggage-handling areas now under comprehensive CCTV surveillance, incidents of baggage theft among arriving passengers have significantly decreased.
However, the regulator said that theft-related complaints are most frequently associated with out-pass passengers.
CAAB said it appears the missing items were taken while the passengers were still in Saudi Arabia, likely by an agency or individual handling their belongings there.
