Bangladesh Issues First Air Navigation Order Ahead Of ICAO Audit

✈ Bangladesh has issued its first dedicated Air Navigation Order (ANO) on aviation security as the country moves to strengthen its civil aviation rules ahead of an International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) audit scheduled to begin on October 26. The audit is a critical milestone for Bangladesh's civil aviation sector — successful passage would reinforce the country's Category 1 aviation safety rating and support continued growth of international aviation connectivity critical for trade and labour mobility.

📜 The audit is scheduled to begin on October 26, and the dedicated aviation security ANO is one of the major issues auditors will examine, said Air Commodore Md Asif Iqbal, member (security) of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB). "If I cannot answer that question, I lose marks, and that affects the overall grading," he told The Daily Star.

🏛 Legal Framework Under Civil Aviation Act 2017

The ANO is a legal instrument issued by CAAB under the Civil Aviation Act, 2017, that sets out binding rules and procedures for a specific area of aviation operations. Violations of the order will be treated as offences punishable under the Act. The security-specific ANO was gazetted on September 3 and came into force the same day. It sets out security responsibilities for airports, aircraft operators, passengers and other stakeholders and gives effect to standards and recommended practices.

The order does not, however, bring major changes to security measures already being followed. Asif said the National Civil Aviation Security Programme (NCASP) contains detailed security requirements but cannot be made public because it includes sensitive information. The ANO, he said, is essentially a generalised, publicly available version of the NCASP with classified information removed. "It's not new," he clarified.

• 📅 ICAO audit start date: October 26, 2026
• 📅 ANO gazette date: September 3, 2026
• 🏛 Legal basis: Civil Aviation Act 2017
• 👥 Disruptive passenger levels: 4 classifications
• 🧷 Liquid container limit: 100ml per container
• 🧷 Liquid bag capacity: 1 litre max (transparent, resealable)
• 👥 Background check authority: Special Branch of Bangladesh Police
• 🔍 Recent equipment: 25 explosive trace detectors (China), 4 body scanners, dual-view baggage screening
• 🏛 Landside security: Armed Police Battalion

📜 Formalising Existing Protocols

Group Captain SM Ragib Samad, executive director of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, also said no new passenger screening measures had been introduced following the issuance of the order. "We are following the existing protocols," he said. Screening before entry into airside or security-restricted areas, for instance, was already in practice, he said, but had previously existed through other instructions rather than in the form of a navigation order. "This has basically given it a legal basis through the ANO."

The framing — formalising existing protocols under a legal instrument rather than introducing new measures — reflects a sophisticated regulatory strategy. By converting previously informal security instructions into binding ANO provisions, CAAB gives the ICAO auditors clear legal documentation of security requirements, addressing a common audit finding where security measures exist in practice but lack formal legal backing.

👥 Disruptive Passenger Classification

The order brings together a wide range of requirements concerning passengers, airport staff, baggage, aircraft and cargo. It classifies disruptive passenger behaviour into four levels, ranging from suspicious or verbally threatening behaviour to an attempted or actual breach of the flight crew compartment. Under the order, airlines may halt check-in or deny boarding over a passenger's condition or behaviour. If boarding is denied at the gate, hold baggage should be offloaded, the passenger escorted to the landside area, and their name removed from the flight manifest. Serious cases may be referred to law enforcement.

The four-level disruptive passenger classification aligns with international aviation security standards — ICAO Annex 17 and the Tokyo Convention's recent Montreal Protocol 2014 amendments provide the framework for managing unruly passengers. The ANO's classification system gives Bangladesh a structured legal basis for managing passenger disruptions that previously may have relied on airline discretion or ad-hoc security responses.

🧷 Liquids, Aerosols And Gels Restrictions

The ANO also says liquids, aerosols and gels must be carried in containers not exceeding 100ml each and placed in a transparent, resealable plastic bag with a maximum capacity of 1 litre. Containers larger than 100ml will not be accepted even if only partly filled. Passengers who refuse security searches or do not allow their cabin and hold baggage to be screened or searched will not be allowed to board.

The liquids, aerosols and gels (LAGs) restrictions are standard across international aviation — introduced globally in 2006 following the foiled transatlantic aircraft terror plot. Bangladesh's formal codification of LAGs restrictions in the ANO brings the country's legal framework into alignment with the global standard, though in practice the restrictions have been enforced at Bangladeshi airports for years.

📜 Background Checks For Security Personnel

The order also requires background checks for people implementing security controls, those with unescorted access to security-restricted areas and those with access to sensitive aviation security information. The Special Branch of Bangladesh Police is responsible for conducting the checks. The background check requirement addresses a long-standing gap in Bangladesh's aviation security framework — the absence of formalised vetting procedures for personnel with airside access, which has historically been a weakness flagged in previous ICAO audits of similar developing country aviation authorities.

⚠ Manpower And Equipment Shortages

Asif acknowledged that CAAB still faces shortages of manpower and some security equipment. "We have some human-resource shortages. Our recruitment process is ongoing," he said. He said the Armed Police Battalion had been given responsibility for landside security while recruitment continued. Once CAAB reaches its full staffing strength, it plans to take over those responsibilities itself. There are also equipment shortages, although procurement is under way, he said.

CAAB recently received 25 explosive trace detectors from China, while dual-view baggage screening machines have also been procured. The authority has recently added four body scanners, Asif said. He described improvements in manpower, equipment, infrastructure and facilities as a continuous process. "Even if you reach 100 percent today, tomorrow you may see a new requirement," he said. More sophisticated and modern equipment will be available once the third terminal becomes operational, he added.

🌏 Strategic Context: ICAO Audit And Bangladesh's Aviation Sector

For Bangladesh's broader aviation sector, the ICAO audit and the supporting ANO issuance carry significant strategic implications. ICAO's Universal Security Audit Programme (USAP) — the framework under which the October 26 audit will be conducted — assesses member states' implementation of Annex 17 (Security) standards. A poor audit result can trigger downstream consequences including downgrades by foreign aviation authorities (notably the US FAA and EU Air Safety Committee), restrictions on Bangladeshi carriers' access to foreign airports, and increased scrutiny of cargo shipments from Bangladesh.

Bangladesh has historically faced challenges with ICAO audits — previous USAP cycles have identified gaps in security oversight, particularly around background checks, security equipment modernisation and the formal legal framework for security measures. The issuance of the security ANO represents a meaningful structural response to these historical findings, providing the legal documentation that auditors typically expect to see.

For Bangladesh's broader trade and labour mobility, the aviation security framework has direct economic implications. Bangladeshi carriers — including US-Bangla Airlines and Biman Bangladesh Airlines — depend on international aviation rights to connect the country's export-oriented economy with global markets. Any aviation security downgrade would constrain this connectivity, raising the cost of business travel, freight movement and the broader integration of Bangladesh's economy with global value chains.

📜 Third Terminal And Future Equipment Modernisation

The reference to the third terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport — which has been under construction and is expected to begin operations in stages — provides a forward-looking context for the aviation security modernisation agenda. The third terminal will require its own security infrastructure, including screening equipment, security-restricted area access controls and staffing. The ANO framework established now will provide the regulatory basis for security operations at the new terminal, ensuring that the terminal's launch is not delayed by regulatory gaps.

The coming months will reveal whether Bangladesh's preparation for the October 26 ICAO audit — anchored by the security ANO and the ongoing equipment modernisation — translates into a successful audit outcome. The audit result, expected to be published in late 2026 or early 2027, will shape the trajectory of Bangladesh's aviation sector engagement with international standards through and beyond LDC graduation in November 2026.