Around 319 employees of Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram did not receive their November salaries due to delays in finalising their pay under the new salary structure, prompting hundreds of employees to stage a protest on Monday morning.

The protesters blamed senior airport official Kaysar M Mohaimen, who oversees the administrative wing, for failing to send their employment records and other necessary documents to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) headquarters in Dhaka on time. They demanded immediate payment and action against the official.

According to airport officials, the documents of the 319 employees were sent from the accounts section to the administrative wing on October 18.

Airport Director Group Captain Mohammad Nur Hossain said the pay fixation of 300 employees had been completed, while the remaining 19 would receive salaries under the previous pay structure.

He said that the airport expected to complete the remaining formalities after a security audit, scheduled to end on 5 November, and pay the employees by Sunday or Monday.

Mohaimen, however, denied negligence, saying he forwarded the verified documents to the CAAB headquarters within a day of receiving them. He cited the Durga Puja holidays from 20 to 24 October and delays in arranging staff travel to Dhaka as reasons for the delay.

He said the documents were eventually sent on 27 October.

Mohaimen joined CAAB in January 2023 and was posted to Shah Amanat airport the same month.