Only three policemen and fifteen Ansars are deployed in the Airport at Rahamatpur in Babuganj, some 15 kilometers from the city.

This is too inadequate to maintain security, airport authorities said.

They said they sent a letter to Barisal police administration to increase the number of policemen to beef up security at the airport and safety of airport staff and passengers.

The authorities had earlier demanded a permanent police camp, a close circuit camera and a scanning machine at the airport.

"These are the minimum security arrangements needed for an airport", its manager Saidul Huq said while talking to this correspondent recently. But nothing has been done, he said.

Any untoward incident may take place any time because Babuganj is an outlaw infested area, he said. Armed Sarbaharas (outlaws) are always active in the area, he said.

Private airline GMG now operates one flight a day and Bangladesh Biman maintains its once-a-week flight in the Barisal-Dhaka route.