Group Captain Ragib Samad, Executive Director (ED) of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), has rejected allegations of baggage theft following a viral video showing disorganised luggage belonging to outpass passengers from Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to tourism-based digital media on Monday, Samad explained that passengers travelling with outpasses carried only small hand-baggage without large luggage. Saudi immigration handed these bags to airline authorities for return after passengers were deported.

"We saw that these bags came to us in containers. These containers are packed at the origin of the flight and only opened in front of the baggage belt here," Samad said. CCTV footage confirmed no bags were opened between Saudi Arabia and Dhaka.

Addressing complaints about missing mobile phones, Samad clarified screening occurs at Jeddah airport where X-ray images can verify bag contents. Ethiopian Airlines station manager confirmed Saudi counterparts were notified about disorganised baggage handling.

Samad revealed a significant problem with phone storage. "Many passengers had mobile phones inside their bags, and sometimes those phones were accumulated and placed together – eight to ten phones in a single bag," he stated. Verifying ownership later becomes extremely difficult.

Outpass passengers are typically sent in organised groups by local police, but in this case passengers received tickets on available flights without proper coordination. "If they don't organise it there, then the disorganisation at this end becomes unavoidable and we end up taking the blame," Samad added.

Airport authorities maintain their role is facilitating arrivals, whilst proper baggage organisation must happen at departure points.