Legal Notice Seeks Live CCTV Baggage Feed

Demanding immediate digital surveillance infrastructure and high-definition video streaming to stop widespread luggage tampering, a formal legal notice has called for live closed-circuit television (CCTV) broadcast of baggage handling across all international and domestic airports in the country. The petition also called for Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) oversight to eliminate recruitment graft within ground-handling services.

According to legal sources, Bangladesh Supreme Court Advocate Md. Mahbubul Hasan Mamun served the notice in public interest on Monday, October 5, 2026. The legal directive was transmitted to the Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), the Chairman of the ACC, the Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, alongside directors and managers of international airports in Dhaka, Chattogram, and Sylhet, and domestic terminals in Cox's Bazar, Saidpur, Rajshahi, Jashore, and Barishal.

The notice highlighted that airports serve as the nation's premier international gateway, yet returning migrant wage-earners, foreign diplomats, tourists, and business travelers routinely face severe luggage pilferage. It stated that organized syndicates breach locked suitcases during transit between the aircraft's cargo hold and arrival conveyor carousels, stealing smartphones, laptops, jewelry, and foreign currency. Such acts inflict grave financial trauma on travelers and severely tarnish the nation's global reputation, infringing upon constitutional protections under Article 42 (Right to Property) and Article 32 (Protection of Right to Life).

Addressing physical security gaps, the notice stated that ground handlers exploit surveillance blind spots across runways, sorting areas, and ramps. It demanded that the entire handling workflow—from cargo unloading and trolley transit to conveyor belt transfer—be brought under high-definition CCTV coverage and streamed live onto large monitors inside arrival lounges for travelers. Furthermore, it demanded that any physical luggage inspection conducted by customs or security agencies be recorded and displayed live to the passenger concerned.

Scrutinizing ground crew recruitment, the notice argued that bribery and corrupt hiring practices lead personnel to engage in organized theft to recover illicit recruitment costs. Consequently, it urged the implementation of transparent, merit-based hiring overseen by the ACC to eliminate staffing malpractices. The notice gave the respondents 10 days to execute live monitoring and recruitment reforms, failing which a public interest writ petition will be filed before the High Court Division under Article 102 of the Constitution. //DBTech/APN/SMP/BPO//