Stranded Migrants: Lucky ones get to go to work abroad
Seven of 12 special flights depart
Migrant workers gathered in front of Saudia office in Dhaka today (April 18, 2021).
Seven out of 12 scheduled special flights left the Dhaka airport as of 9:00pm yesterday.
Of the seven flights, Biman Bangladesh Airlines operated two flights, one each on Dammam and Riyadh route; Oman Air operated one flight to Muscat; US-Bangla Airlines operated three flights, one each to Doha, Dubai, and Muscat; and Emirates operated one flight to Dubai, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), told The Daily Star.
Amid the nationwide lockdown that has been imposed to prevent the spread of coronavirus, around 1,600 expatriate workers remained stuck and could not return to their workplaces in Saudi Arabia, Muscat, Dubai, and Doha on these flights, sources at the HSIA said.
Seven special flights for migrant workers cancelled today
Star Digital Report
Star Digital Report
Seven special flights for migrant workers stuck in the country due to the weeklong ban on international flights were cancelled today.
Of the seven, Biman Bangladesh Airlines cancelled five Saudi Arabia bound flights while Fly Dubai cancelled two Dubai bound flights, Group Captain AHM Touhid-Ul Ahsan, director, Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told The Daily Star.
He also said Biman was forced to cancel its flight as the national flag carrier didn t get landing permission from the Saudi authorities.
For Fly Dubai, the airlines was forced to cancel its flights due to shortage of passengers, said the director of HSIA.
Axed flights leave migrants in the lurch
An exhausted migrant worker fell asleep on the floor of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the capital. Photo: Rashed Sumon, Amran Hossain
The return of several thousand Bangladeshi expatriate workers to their workplaces abroad, particularly in Saudi Arabia, suffered a major blow yesterday due to cancellation of eight flights from Dhaka.
National carrier Biman was forced to cancel five flights, four to Saudi Arabia and one to Singapore, while Fly Dubai cancelled two flights to Dubai, and US-Bangla Airlines cancelled a flight to Muscat, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan, director at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, told The Daily Star.
He added that those passengers will be accommodated on tomorrow s flight.
The return of several thousand Bangladeshi expatriate workers to different countries, especially Saudi Arabia, suffered a major blow today the first day of the beginning of weeklong special flights from Dhaka due to a cancellation of a total of eight flights.
Of the eight flights, Biman was forced to cancel five flights four bound for Saudi Arabia and one bound four Singapore while Fly Dubai cancelled two Dubai bound flights, Group Captain AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan told The Daily Star.
Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, managing director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, told this correspondent even after getting slots (authorisation to either take-off or land), the Saudi authorities cancelled landing permission of Biman s four flights at the last moment.
Special flights cancelled Migrant workers protest in Dhaka 18 April 2021
Migrant workers block the road in front of the Saudi Arabian Airlines office in Dhaka\ s Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel, after their flights were cancelled on Saturday.
Staff Reporter :
Several hundred migrant workers demonstrated at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) in Dhaka on Saturday following cancellation special flights.
They also blocked capital s Karwan Bazar intersection, halting traffic movement on the road.
On the first day of the beginning of the special flights, a total of 14 flights were scheduled to take off and land at the HSIA.
But seven of the flights were cancelled due to lack of landing permission in countries and passengers, official sources said.