Authorities have seized an unauthorised drone found flying over the VIP area of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) announced on Sunday, warning of legal action against violations of restricted airspace regulations.

The drone was confiscated on Saturday night—at around 8:30 pm on April 4—as it was being used to record footage near the VIP Pole Gate of the airport, coinciding with the arrival of the Bangladesh Under-20 football team following their return from the SAFF Championship, CAAB said in a press release.

Airport areas fall under the 'Red Zone' as per the Drone Registration and Flight Policy 2020. Flying a drone in such sensitive areas without special permission from the relevant authority is completely prohibited, the release said.

The seized device was identified as a DJI Mavic 4 Pro, a high-end consumer drone capable of professional-grade video recording. CAAB confirmed that the operator had obtained no prior clearance from the authority before flying the drone within the airport perimeter.

Under Bangladesh's Drone Registration and Flight Policy 2020, airports are classified as Red Zones—areas where drone operations are strictly forbidden without explicit authorisation from the relevant regulatory body. The policy was introduced to safeguard the integrity of aviation safety and prevent potential interference with aircraft operations.

CAAB said necessary legal measures would be taken against all such unauthorised activities in order to maintain overall airport security.

The authority also issued a public advisory urging all individuals to strictly comply with applicable rules and regulations before operating drones in or near airports and other designated sensitive areas.