Dhaka airport ED praised for professionalism amid Jamaat leader’s threats

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Executive Director Group Captain SM Ragib Samad has won praise on social media for keeping his composure and professionally defusing a tense situation after Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami leader Major (Retd) Akhtaruzzaman publicly threatened and misbehaved with him.

The incident took place at the airport on Thursday. A video of the incident later circulated on social media. In the video, Akhtaruzzaman can be heard telling the airport executive director, “You do not work; you do nothing. I will grab you by the neck and throw you out.”

At one point, he threatened the executive director, saying, “Do you want to get beaten up?”

Akhtaruzzaman also said, “We are suffering every day. Quit your job and leave this place.”

However, Executive Director SM Ragib Samad remained calm throughout the recorded incident. Displaying remarkable patience and professionalism, the director tried to explain the matter to the overbearing leader.

Following the incident, Executive Director SM Ragib Samad has drawn widespread praise on Facebook.

A Facebook user named Sakib wrote, “There is a limit to politeness, and the director is an example of it.”

Another user, addressing the executive director, wrote, “This man has been tested to the limits of his patience.”

It was learnt that the incident occurred after Akhtaruzzaman arrived on flight BG388, with one of his pieces of luggage containing Zamzam water. The Jamaat leader behaved aggressively towards the executive director over the issue.

Other Jamaat leaders who were present at the time tried to defuse the situation.

Action taken over delay in supplying Zamzam water: Biman

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has initiated departmental action against two officials following a delay in supplying Zamzam water to Umrah pilgrims arriving in Dhaka from Madina on Thursday morning.

Flight BG338, carrying the Umrah pilgrims, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 9:10am. The passengers faced a temporary delay in receiving Zamzam water after one of the containers carrying the holy water was not delivered to the baggage belt on time.

According to Biman, a preliminary inquiry found that the delay occurred due to negligence in container offloading and operational handling.

The airline said that departmental proceedings were being initiated against baggage-in-charge Monirul Islam Pradhan and flight supervisor Saddam Hossain over alleged negligence of duty.

Biman authorities took immediate steps after the issue came to their attention to minimise the passengers’ inconvenience. Zamzam water was initially distributed from the airline’s reserved stock, while the other container was subsequently located and its contents supplied to the passengers.

Biman also said that it had strengthened internal monitoring to prevent a recurrence of similar incidents.

The national flag carrier reiterated its commitment to providing uninterrupted and quality services to passengers, particularly those returning after performing Umrah.