Harassment at Every Turn at Shahjalal Airport, ‘Money Game’ Allegedly Behind Boarding Passes. Passengers allegedly held for hours despite valid visas and tickets; complaints of baggage-related embezzlement and paid ticket upgradesPassengers arrive at the airport with valid travel documents, visas and tickets. Yet some are allegedly kept waiting for hours before being issued boarding passes. Eventually, they are reportedly asked to pay substantial amounts of money in the name of “resolving” various problems.
From alleged embezzlement of excess baggage charges to paid upgrades from economy to business class, complaints of irregular financial transactions have surfaced at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
An alleged syndicate involving some employees of Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ passenger and ground service departments is accused of harassing passengers and unlawfully collecting or misappropriating money. A month-long inquiry has uncovered information about several alleged irregularities.
According to the allegations, passengers with valid travel documents are sometimes held up by raising various objections, while money is subsequently demanded to resolve the issues. There are also allegations that passengers are charged for excess baggage and that portions of the money are allegedly misappropriated.
Aviation experts say such practices not only cause severe harassment to passengers but may also deprive Biman Bangladesh Airlines of substantial revenue.
Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam said passenger service at an airport can never be used as a means of extracting money from passengers. He said deliberately holding passengers with valid documents and subjecting them to unnecessary harassment would constitute a serious irregularity.
He recommended examining the relevant employees’ system logs, baggage tags, payment records and CCTV footage. He also called for strict administrative and legal action against anyone found responsible, along with stronger oversight of passenger-service operations.
Biman’s Director of Customer Service, Badrul Hasan Liton, said the airport service department had already been instructed to look into the matter.
“They are looking into it. If necessary, an investigation will be conducted. If the allegations are found to be true, no one involved will be spared,” he said.
He added that Biman maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward passenger harassment.
Alleged Counter-Based Syndicate
According to sources, an alleged group led by a counter supervisor and an assistant manager of Biman’s passenger service department has been operating at the airport.
The group is accused of manipulating baggage weight and related records to collect additional charges and allegedly misappropriating the money.
There are also allegations that passengers with valid documents are kept waiting for extended periods by pointing out various purported deficiencies and are sent from one counter to another.
Sources further allege that, through contacts with Hajj agencies, the group facilitates business-class seat allocations in exchange for money. There are also allegations that some passengers are issued boarding passes after making payments.
The names of Ground Service Supervisor (GSS) Md. Jasim Uddin (G-52195), Ground Service Assistant (GSA) Mohammad Burhan Uddin (G-53047), and GSA Mizanur Rahman Firoz (G-53030) have surfaced in connection with the alleged group.
However, the allegations against the individuals concerned should be independently verified, and their responses should be sought before publication.
Alleged Tk 52,000 Deal for Two Extra Bags
An inquiry into the allegations found that on August 18, a passenger named Mahmud Sarwar travelled on Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-305. He approached the counter of GSA Mizanur Rahman Firoz for check-in with four pieces of luggage.
According to the allegation, a helper named Ibrahim, who was working in the baggage area, reached an understanding with the passenger to check in two additional bags in exchange for Tk 52,000.
Ibrahim subsequently contacted GSA Mohammad Burhan, who allegedly advised the passenger to go to Firoz’s counter.
At 12:51 a.m., Firoz checked in two bags weighing 23 kg and 22 kg under Mahmud Sarwar’s name. However, according to the allegation, the two additional bags were not tagged in the passenger’s own name. Instead, they were allegedly linked to another group of four passengers.
The ticket numbers of those four passengers were 9972102215861/2/3/4, with sequence numbers 136 to 139. Their check-in had reportedly been completed by GSA Burhan at 11:18 p.m.
The four passengers were entitled to a total of eight bags but had checked in only five. According to the allegation, Firoz, allegedly acting on Burhan’s advice, added two more bags to the group. Two baggage tags were reportedly issued in the name of passenger Rumena/Husna Jannat, sequence number 137.
Passenger Finds Another Name on His Baggage Tag
Mahmud Sarwar reportedly noticed that the name on his baggage claim tag did not match his own and protested. At one point, he began shouting, prompting Biman security supervisor Md. Niaz Morshed Bhuiyan to come to the scene and speak with him.
According to the allegation, although Tk 52,000 had been collected for the two additional bags, no receipt was initially provided to the passenger. Instead, he was reportedly told that the bags had been booked under another passenger’s name.
Mahmud then demanded a payment slip and baggage claim tags bearing his own name.
As the situation escalated, helper Ibrahim allegedly produced Tk 52,000 from his pocket and began giving various explanations. The security supervisor subsequently seized his pass, according to the allegation.
The passenger’s profile was later updated to include two additional bags, and new tags were issued before the bags were sent onto the conveyor belt. When the bags reached Bay-1, the loading supervisor reportedly removed the previous tags and attached new ones.
According to the records cited in the inquiry, approximately 11 minutes after the new tags were issued, at 1:58 a.m., Mizanur Rahman Firoz deleted the previous two tags from the system.
The allegation further states that after Tk 52,000 was collected from helper Ibrahim and an additional approximately Tk 10,000 was taken from the passenger, a payment slip was subsequently issued.
No Disciplinary Action Allegedly Taken
Sources allege that after lengthy discussions over the incident, the accused employees apologized, but no disciplinary action was taken against them following the intervention of the counter supervisor.
However, the allegations should be verified through CCTV footage, baggage-tag records, system logs, payment records and statements from the employees and passengers concerned.
Nine Passengers Allegedly Asked for Tk 15,000 Each
The alleged financial transactions are not limited to baggage.
According to the allegations, on July 21, nine passengers travelling to Portugal via Abu Dhabi on Biman flight BG-327 had their travel documents checked by employees of the Passport Checking Unit (PCU) and were cleared for check-in.
However, the counter supervisor allegedly refused to complete their check-in and demanded Tk 15,000 from each passenger.
The passengers reportedly waited for nearly two hours before the relevant agency agreed to make the payment, following which their boarding passes were allegedly issued.
This allegation also requires independent verification. CCTV footage from the relevant period, check-in system logs, passenger statements and financial records of the agency concerned could help establish what actually occurred.
Alleged Misappropriation of Baggage Fee on Singapore Flight
In another incident, GSA Burhan is accused of taking Tk 5,000 from a passenger travelling on a Singapore-bound flight as an excess baggage fee and allegedly misappropriating the money.
According to the allegation, the passenger later complained about the matter at the boarding gate.
The allegation further states that, in an attempt to cover up the incident, the relevant counter supervisor edited the system and showed the Tk 5,000 as having been deposited into the appropriate account.
Payment records and system logs could establish whether the allegation is accurate.
Alleged Business-Class Upgrade Trade
The alleged group has also been accused of arranging upgrades from economy class to business class on Toronto-bound flights in exchange for money.
Several sources claim that a ground-service official had regularly been assigned duties at the Hajj Camp for several years. During that period, the official allegedly developed contacts with Hajj agencies and facilitated business-class seat allocations in exchange for payments.
These allegations, too, require verification through documentary evidence, internal airline records and statements from the relevant officials and agencies.
Calls for Stronger Oversight
Allegations of misconduct involving employees directly responsible for passenger services are not merely individual matters. They can affect an airline’s reputation, revenue and the quality of services provided to passengers.
Aviation experts say any investigation should examine check-in system logs, the history of baggage-tag changes, payment records, CCTV footage and the duty rosters of the employees concerned.
They also recommend that if the allegations are substantiated, those responsible should face appropriate departmental and legal action. At the same time, stronger monitoring mechanisms should be introduced to prevent similar incidents in the future.