Ammunition magazine in bag unintentional, says Asif Mahmud

Youth and Sports Adviser Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain has said that an ammunition magazine found in his cabin baggage at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) early this morning was in the bag by mistake.

There was "nothing illegal or intentional" about it, he said in a Facebook post, explaining that he owns a licensed firearm "for personal safety due to recent security threats, including several alleged attempts on the lives of those leading the recent mass uprising".

"When there's no government security or protocol, keeping a licensed weapon is a way to ensure safety for myself and my family," he wrote.

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Ammunition magazine found in Asif Mahmud's bag at Dhaka airport

The ammunition magazine was found in his luggage while he was about to embark a Turkish Airlines flight (TK-713) on his way to Morocco via Istanbul at 6:50am.

He said while packing in the early hours before the flight, a magazine "was removed from the bag, but another one had remained unintentionally".

"When the magazine showed up on the scanner, I handed it over to my protocol officer immediately. It was completely unintentional. What would I even do with just a magazine? If I had any ill intention, I wouldn't have left the firearm behind," he added.

According to officials at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, carrying an ammunition magazine in cabin baggage is strictly prohibited under Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) regulations.

Airport officials told The Daily Star they saw no need to proceed further on the matter and the adviser boarded the plane which left Dhaka at 7:00am.