Hundreds of Gulf Arab states-bound passengers got stranded and immensely suffered at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka on Sunday as 40 more flights were cancelled to and from the airport on the day.
The cancellation of both the ME-bound and inbound flights continued due to the closure of regional airspaces after the US and Israeli attacks on Iran and the damages caused to airports because of retaliatory attacks on them by Iran.
A total of 74 flights were cancelled from and to the HSIA between February 28 and March 2, according to HSIA executive director Raghib Samad, also a Bangladesh Air Force Group Captain.
Of the total cancelled trips, 28 flights were cancelled on Saturday and 11 for Monday.
Of the 40 flights cancelled on Sunday, two belonged to Jazeera Airways, five to Emirates Airlines, two to Gulf Air, four to Fly Dubai, two to Qatar Airways, two to Salam Air, eight to Air Arabia, two to Kuwait Airways, four to US Bangla Airlines while nine belonged to Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
The 28 cancelled flights on February 28 included one Emirates Airlines trip, one Gulf Airlines trip, one Fly Dubai trip, three Air Arabia trips, six US Bangla Airlines trips, and 11 Biman Bangladesh Airlines trips.
Of the 11 cancelled flights on March 2, four were Qatar Airways flights, five Emirates Airlines, and two Gulf Air.
Although no flight to any Middle Eastern country departed from the HSIA in Dhaka till 9:30pm on Sunday, a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight left for Jeddah from Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram on Sunday afternoon, according to officials at the Dhaka and Chattogram airports.
Anyone from the Shah Amanat International Airport and the Biman Bangladesh Airlines general manager for Media and Public Relations, Bushra Islam, could not be reached over phone despite several attempts for comment on why a lone flight departed to Saudi Arabia amid such a risky situation.
On Saturday, the HSIA authorities issued a three-point directive to all airlines, with one directive saying that all cancelled or delayed flight passengers would be informed of the situations through SMSs, emails and call centres to avoid unnecessary sufferings of passengers, but airlines largely ignored the directives causing immense sufferings to passengers till Sunday.
Another directive said that all airlines officials would have to stay in the airport to provide necessary information and directives to all passengers, while clear and coordinated information would be given to passengers.
Many Mideast-bound passengers alleged that airlines authorities informed them about the flight cancellation at the eleventh hour after they reached the airport and many could not get specific information from the airlines concerned.
‘My flight to Doha, Qatar was scheduled for 5:15pm on Sunday by Biman Bangladesh Airlines. The airlines informed me through a phone call at about 1:30pm when I had already reached the Dhaka airport from Lakshmipur,’ Anwar Hossain said while talking to New Age on the HSIA premises.
He said that it was great trouble for him and if they had informed earlier he would not have come to Dhaka in the first place.
‘I have given them my phone number and email address, but they did not inform me on time,’ Anwar said in a perplexed and sad voice.
HSIA executive director Raghib Samad told New Age that he had also heard about the complaint against Biman Bangladesh Airlines call centres that people could not reach them or about their delay in informing people.
‘There are many other challenges as well. Many Mideast countries-bound passengers bought tickets via travel agencies where one person bought tickets for five persons. Airlines are also facing challenges to inform four other people,’ Raghib explained.
Rakibul Hasan, a Saudi Arabia-bound passenger of the IndiGo airlines, was seen waiting at Terminal 1 of the HSIA at about 12:30pm.
‘I arrived at the airport at 6:00am, although my flight is scheduled for 4:00pm. I have a transit in New Delhi and am now uncertain whether I will be able to reach my final destination,’ he said.
Mohammad Delwar Ahmed, a Saudi Arabia-bound passenger who was also sitting in front of the Terminal 1 of the HSIA around 1:00pm, said that he came to the airport at 6:00am for a US Bangla Airlines 3:15pm flight.
‘I came so early at the airport with the tension whether the flight would operate or not. I am now waiting here with uncertainty as the flight has been delayed for two hours,’ he added.
Another passenger at the HSIA, Mohammad Samir Uddin, a Dubai-bound man, said that he had come to the airport at 10:00am due to confusion over his flight status.
‘I heard that my scheduled 5:15pm flight was cancelled, but I could not get any further information,’ he said, adding that he was unable to obtain clear details from neither the airport authorities nor the airlines.
Asked about the matter, Raghib said that if they could not fly in transit from India, they would be sent back to home.
‘It is a crisis situation. We are trying our best to provide services but there are challenges here,’ he added.
Another HSIA official in the evening said that not a single flight left for any Middle Eastern country from Dhaka.
Speaking to reporters at the airport in the afternoon, expatriate welfare, labour and employment affairs minister Ariful Haque Chowdhury said that they had taken all-out measures to reduce sufferings of the stranded passengers.
‘We have also started hotlines to ensure 24-hour services for passengers. Latest information is also being provided to the media,’ he said.
He said that they had arranged food and accommodation for the stranded passengers yesterday and would provide the same today.
New Age Correspondent in Chattogram reported quoting Shah Amanat International Airport public relations officer Ibrahim Khalil that six flights -- three outbound and three inbound -- were suspended on Saturday while three departure and seven arrival flights were cancelled.
On the other hand, Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-135 left Chattogram for Jeddah, according to the correspondent.
