Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam said VIPs and CIPs must follow the same airport security protocols as all other passengers, with no one exempt from security procedures. She made the statement on Thursday while chairing the first meeting of the reconstituted National Civil Aviation Security Committee at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh headquarters.

The minister directed relevant authorities to quickly implement decisions from the 13th meeting of the country’s highest civil aviation security policymaking and coordination committee. Referring to an upcoming International Civil Aviation Organization security audit, she said its outcome is linked to Bangladesh’s international image and called for full compliance in areas that may draw ICAO observations. She also stressed coordinated work to improve passenger services, particularly for expatriate Bangladeshis.

State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat said an anti-drone system would be installed to prevent unauthorized drone flights near airports. The meeting discussed intelligence sharing, modern security technology, stronger entry-point security at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, improved under-vehicle scanning, and contingency planning. Agencies were also urged to coordinate against congestion, unauthorized gatherings, begging, and illegal luggage-wrapping activities in the airport’s landside area.