Sohel Taj’s suitcase ‘searched without permission at Dhaka airport'

Former state minister for Home Affairs Tanjim Ahmad Sohel Taj has alleged that his “suitcase was broken and searched without his permission at Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka" yesterday.

Sohel Taj made the allegations through a public post on his verified Facebook page today.

He found his suitcase open upon returning to the USA from Dhaka yesterday, he said.

“Somebody at Dhaka Airport broke the lock on my suitcase and searched it without my permission,” he said in his post.

The suitcase was broken and searched without permission despite a tag clearly mentioning his name on the suitcase, he added.

Contacted Managing Director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines AM Mosaddique Ahmed told The Daily Star that they have not received any complaint regarding the matter.

Biman does not carry out any search activities to any one’s luggage, he added.

Sohel Taj, however, was travelling to the US by a Qatar Airways’ flight, airport sources said.

Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Director Iqbalur Rahim told The Daily Star that he has witnessed the Facebook post of Sohel Taj but didn’t get any complaint from him.

He also said according to the rules of International Civil Aviation Organisation, they do not open any suspected luggage or suitcase without presence and permission of the carrier.

“Besides, we don’t open any passenger’s luggage except presence of any type of explosive inside it,” he also said.

He also said that he apprehend that Sohel Taj’s suitcase might be broken either at Dubai Airport during his transit or after landing at the USA airport if the suitcase was not locked with a lock approved by the Transportation Security Administration of US.

“Sohel Taj is a respected person of the country. He was not only a former state minister for home. He is the son of our country’s first prime minister. It can never happen in this airport that we will break his suitcase lock without his permission,” added Iqbalur.  

Sohel, son of country's first Prime Minister Tajuddin Ahmad, was made a state minister for home affairs in 2009 cabinet resigned only after six months on May 31.

Eventually, Sohel also resigned as a lawmaker on April 23, 2012, and declared that he would no longer be involved in active politics.