The story of Hamid’s exit
Further details regarding the exit of former president Mohammed Abdul Hamid suggest he breezed through the airport before quietly departing for Thailand.
Security footage obtained and analysed by The Daily Star shows that Hamid's car reached the barrier gate of the VIP terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) at 12:46am on May 8.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. The car was stopped by an operator of the airport's Aviation Security Division, who, upon realising the identity of the passenger, returned to his station to contact his line manager.
While he was making the calls, two individuals appeared in the background -- one in a light pink shirt and the other in a blue shirt and grey blazer -- and beckoning the car inside.
Three minutes later, at 12:49am, the two men moved into the foreground. The man in pink approached the car directly. The other in the blazer came from the side -- a white ID card hanging from his waist became visible.
Several aviation security personnel, speaking on condition of anonymity, claimed the two men were from a specialised intelligence agency. However, The Daily Star could not independently verify this, as their faces are not visible in the footage.
The gate operator promptly raised the barrier, allowing the car to proceed to the VIP terminal's drop-off/pick-up point.
A frail Hamid, using a cane, was transferred onto a wheelchair while his son Barrister Riad Ahmed followed behind with two small trolley suitcases. Hamid, wearing a lungi and sandals, entered the terminal at 12:51am.
On May 15, Riad wrote on Facebook that his father was too weak to stand for even two minutes or sit for more than two hours. "He has lost so much weight, he now weighs 54 kilograms and none of his pants fit him anymore, so he has to wear lungis," he posted.
Speaking to The Daily Star from Bangkok on May 21, Riad said, "The doctors detected cancer in his [Hamid's] right lung. There are a few more spots in other places. They extracted tissue from those places yesterday for a biopsy to test if they are cancerous. They did another test yesterday to judge whether or not he would be able to survive the stress of a surgery. He is not well. The weakness has intensified. The doctors will decide on Saturday [yesterday] if he will need chemotherapy or radiotherapy."
Once inside the terminal, Hamid was taken through the terminal-side scan and seated inside the VIP lounge as per protocol.
At 2:21am, after about an hour and a half, he was wheeled out past the police immigration desk towards Gate-33.
The Daily Star confirmed the gate number by speaking with Group Captain Muhammed Kamrul Islam, the airport's immediate past executive director, who was present that night and left his post the following day.
There was, however, a procedural anomaly -- it is highly irregular for any passenger to proceed directly from the VIP lounge to Gate-33.
"Gate-33 is exclusively for secure airport personnel," said current HSIA executive director Group Captain S M Ragib Samad. "After exiting the VIP lounge, passengers go to the second floor where they undergo security checks."
This security check includes a comprehensive scan of the body and hand luggage -- a process standard at major airports globally before passengers enter duty-free and boarding zones. At HSIA, such checks occur immediately before boarding.
Senior airport officials, also speaking anonymously, said only the head of state and the sitting president are exempt from these checks.
After security clearance, passengers are usually directed either to a boarding bridge or taken by vehicle from a gate known as "Alpha" if the plane is parked remotely. Even Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus followed this process.
But both the CCTV footage and witness accounts confirm that Hamid was wheeled straight from the VIP lounge to Gate-33, skipping the mandatory security check.
The Thai Airways flight -- TG340 -- was parked away from the terminal. According to Riad, Hamid was transported in a car and lifted onto the plane along with his wheelchair.
INSIDE THE VIP LOUNGE
During his 90-minute stay in the lounge, Hamid's immigration was completed. A leaked and subsequently verified general diary (GD) entry reveals that upon his arrival, the terminal-in-charge informed the immigration police officer-in-charge.
The OC -- Additional Superintendent of Immigration Police Tahsina Arif -- then alerted two state intelligence agencies: an assistant director of the National Security Intelligence (NSI) and a Grade-1 general staff officer of the Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI), as recorded in the GD.
She also contacted the additional deputy inspector general and deputy inspector general of the immigration police.
Sources within the civilian intelligence agency confirmed that the NSI assistant director sought clearance through his chain of command.
Following these developments, Tahsina Arif has been removed from her post. Another officer withdrawn is Mohammad Hasan Chowdhury, superintendent of Kishoreganj police.
Notably, former president Hamid was named in a murder case filed in Kishoreganj relating to the July-August massacre.
Speaking to The Daily Star, Tahsina said she followed due procedure.
"I took clearance from both NSI and DGFI and I also checked the no-fly list. His name was not there. I informed my superiors and was told to let him pass through. I physically came down to the immigration desk to make sure that we get all the necessary permissions."
Security footage confirms her presence at the immigration counter with her sub-inspectors as Hamid was wheeled away.
Contacted for comments, SP Chowdhury declined but requested prayers from well-wishers for his return to service.
The investigation officer of the case, Assistant Sub-Inspector Azharul Islam, and Assistant Trainee Sub-Inspector of the Special Branch of police Md Solaiman were also suspended.
An investigation committee was formed on May 11, 2025, to look into the circumstances surrounding Hamid's exit. The committee is headed by Education Adviser Prof CR Abrar and includes Environment Adviser Syeda Rizwana Hasan and Shipping Adviser Brig Gen (retd) M Sakhawat Hossain. The report is expected next week.
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