NBR Plans To Put In More Luggage Scanners at Ports

NBR Plans To Put In More Luggage Scanners at Ports

The customs authority plans to put in more luggage scanners in the least air and land ports during a bid to curb smuggling and free travellers of the effort of discretion-based checks at arrival and departure gates.

Initially, 10 luggage scanners and five physical body scanners are slated for purchase while eventually more are going to be installed to strengthen automated checkpoints and stem the flow of contraband, consistent with a senior official of the National Board of Revenue (NBR).

"We are considering installing scanners in the least customs stations across the country," the official said, adding that the primary 15 scanners would likely be bought within the present financial year.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh's largest airport, handles around 20,000 travellers on a day to day with just six luggage scanners while Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram has only four scanners operational.

Meanwhile Benapole Land Port, the country's most active land port, has two scanners and Osmani International Airport in Sylhet has one.

Related officials said once the new scanners were in situ, luggage would be scanned for signs of suspicion before being taken for further examination if needed as against being manually searched.

Besides, the necessity to conduct body searches at these ports will decline following the installation of automated scanners at customs areas.

The new machinery will mainly be installed at the Dhaka, Chattogram and Sylhet airports, consistent with a politician.

"Although using scanners won't totally stop the flow of contraband, they're going to act as a deterrent to smugglers," he said.

Bangladesh registered gradual spikes in traveller movements over the last few years. During fiscal 2017-18, nearly 56 lakh travellers arrived through various ports within the country, posting a ten per cent increase from the previous year.

The number of outgoing travellers increased 5 per cent to 55.80 lakh in fiscal 2017-18, consistent with the NBR's Annual Report.

In total, the country's ports handled 7 per cent more, or 1.10 crore, inbound and outbound travellers during that period in comparison to the previous financial year.