DHAKA, Nov 25, 2025 (BSS) - The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has wrapped up a two-day USOAP Audit Support Workshop, with CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq stressing that enhanced regional cooperation and knowledge-sharing will significantly improve Bangladesh's implementation capacity ahead of the upcoming ICAO oversight audit.

Organised by CAAB's Flight Safety and Regulations (FSR) Division, the workshop was held on 23-24 November and brought together 32 participants from seven South Asian states - Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan and Maldives, said a press release here. 

USOAP, the Universal Safety Oversight Audit Programme of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), evaluates the ability of member states to oversee aviation safety in line with global standards.

The sessions focused on strengthening participants' understanding of state safety oversight responsibilities, ICAO's eight Critical Elements, completion of State Aviation Activity Questionnaires (SAAQ), documentation methods, evidence submission for Protocol Questions (PQs) through the ICAO Online Framework (OLF), and common audit pitfalls.

Speaking at the inaugural session, CAAB Chairman Siddiq welcomed international guests, including EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Bangladesh Michael Miller, and underscored the importance of regional collaboration.

"This programme reflects the strong partnership between South Asia and the European Union in aviation safety. The knowledge, experience and best practices shared here will significantly strengthen our national implementation capacity as we prepare for the upcoming USOAP audit," he said.

He added that CAAB is honoured to host such a timely capacity-building initiative under the EU-South Asia Aviation Partnership Project (EU-South Asia APP), which continues to make meaningful contributions to aviation safety across the region.

Air Commodore Md Mukeet-ul-Alam Miah, Member (Flight Standards and Regulations), supervised the arrangements, while Group Captain Md Monirul Islam, Director (FSR & IA), served as Chief Coordinator.

Participants engaged in extensive exchanges on audit experiences, oversight challenges, and international best practices, reinforcing professional cooperation among South Asian civil aviation authorities.