A full-scale security drill was held at Cox’s Bazar International Airport on Wednesday morning to test preparedness against threats such as hijacking and bomb attacks. The exercise began around 11am as part of a biennial programme aimed at assessing emergency response capacity and strengthening coordination among relevant agencies.

Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mustafa Mahmud Siddiq attended the drill as chief guest.

According to the scenario, an aircraft with eight passengers and two cabin crew departed Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 10:30am for Cox’s Bazar. Ten minutes after take-off, the Cox’s Bazar control tower received an anonymous call claiming a bomb was on board. Considering the threat credible, airport authorities declared a “full emergency” and activated the Emergency Operations Centre.