CAAB says viral airport scuffle video shows only part of incident

Dhaka: The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has said a viral video showing a scuffle between Ansar personnel and a group of people at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport captured only part of the incident, with CCTV footage revealing the events leading up to the confrontation.

In a press release issued on September 22, CAAB said the incident took place outside the Canopy-2 exit gate at around 12:52 am on September 21.

According to the authority, a man who had come to receive an arriving passenger attempted to enter the airport through the exit gate, prompting an Ansar member on duty to stop him in line with security protocols.

The man allegedly made several attempts to enter despite being asked not to do so. Another Ansar member then approached to prevent him from entering, during which the man lost his balance and fell, the press release said.

The situation turned tense when other people accompanying the man approached the scene. This led to pushing and a physical altercation between the group and the Ansar personnel, CAAB said.

A bystander recorded part of the confrontation on a smartphone, and the video later circulated widely on social media.

CAAB said CCTV footage from the area provided a fuller account of the incident, including the attempts to enter through the designated exit gate and the events preceding the altercation.

The authority urged passengers’ relatives and visitors to comply with airport security protocols and use designated entry and exit points.

It also called on the public to refrain from sharing misleading information or speculation based on partial video footage without verifying the full context.

CAAB said maintaining airport security and orderly passenger movement requires cooperation from security personnel, passengers, relatives, and visitors alike.