Explosives in courier parcel

Nevertheless, the bad news is that neither the recipient nor the sender has been apprehended (although the manager and two employees of the courier service have been arrested on minor charges). Additionally, the fact that the explosives were sent by parcel and well hidden hints at a growing sophistication on the part of the terrorists. Finally, the fact that the parcel was sent from Sylhet to Rajshahi is troubling, as once again it underlines the nationwide reach of the terrorists.

It seems to us that if terrorists are now using courier services to send explosives from one part of the country to another, then the courier service people themselves need to seriously think about adopting some safety measures, both for their own sake, and that of the nation as a whole.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

The courier service industry has grown and done well over the last few years. However, there is no reason why it cannot add simple routine precautions to its handling of packages similar to measures in place elsewhere in the world.

Use of metal detectors and perhaps even trained dogs to detect explosives or other contraband would be a good place to start. In addition, it is clear that the employees must receive training in how to identify suspicious packages. Finally, there should be more stringent confirmation of the identity of both sender and recipient before a parcel is sent out, unlike the present case, pursuant to which neither party can now be located.

These simple steps should not harm the industry, but they will do a lot to mitigate the risk to the nation as well as to the courier service itself. After all, one presumes that the courier services themselves have the greatest desire to ensure that such materials do not pass through their hands.