Japan bans Biman special flights
Japan has barred Biman from operating special chartered flights to repatriate stranded citizens to and from Japan after four Bangladeshi passengers on a recent repatriation flight tested positive for Covid-19 despite having documents certifying that they had tested negative and were safe to travel.
"The Japanese authorities have put restrictions to operate special chartered flights to and from Japan as four of our passengers [who had travelled from Bangladesh] tested positive for Covid-19 while in quarantine in Japan," Biman Managing Director and CEO M Mokabbir Hossain told The Daily Star yesterday afternoon.
Asked whether the South Korean authorities also took the same measures after reports emerged of 12 Bangladeshis testing Covid-19 positive despite health certificates showing that they had tested negative, the Biman MD said, adding, "We didn't operate special flights to South Korea, so I don't have any idea about this."
Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and the country's other respective authorities had agreed to allow Bangladesh to operate special charted flights on condition that all intended passengers must have health certificates stating that they are negative for Covid-19 or do not have any symptoms of the highly transmissible virus and are safe to travel, said a top official of Biman, wishing not to be named.
Since April 29, Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the flag carrier of the country, has so far operated four special flights between Japan and Dhaka.
Talking to The Daily Star on Tuesday, Mohibul Haque, senior secretary of the civil aviation and tourism ministry, said Japan made the decision due to the fraudulence of some passengers regarding health certificate on Covid-19.
"Health officials at the Dhaka airport should be made accountable for such a scam," he added.
He said responsible persons behind such incidents must be identified.
"The Civil Aviation Authority can investigate the matter and find out which organisation issued such fake health certificates," the senior secretary also said. "This was a disaster."
Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen told the media that the development was very unfortunate.
"They showed health certificates showing no Covid-19 infection. But later they tested positive for Covid-19. We don't know how it happened."
He also said those who have provided fake health certificates must face the music.
"I also think the authorities concerned of the airport [Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport] will have to be more careful about this," he said. "We don't want to earn a bad name."
Since March 16, Bangladesh suspended regular flight operations with all countries except China due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The suspension is set to stay in effect till June 15.
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