406 more Bangladeshis return from Saudi Arabia

A special flight of Saudi Arabian Airlines yesterday brought back 406 Bangladeshis, who had been stranded in Saudi Arabia after the Gulf nation suspended air communication with different countries, including Bangladesh, to contain the spread of coronavirus.

On Tuesday, Biman Bangladesh Airlines brought back 409 Bangladeshis, who had also remained stranded in the country.

The special flight of the Saudi Arabian Airlines landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 5:50pm, said a member of Avsec (Aviation Security) at the airport.

Most of the 406 Bangladeshis went to Saudi Arabia to perfom Umrah hajj, said Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairman of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Many of them had been in detention camps in Saudi Arabia, said sources at CAAB.

Jahirul Islam, a doctor at the health desk of the airport, told The Daily Star that of the returnees, two were sent to a hospital as they were detected with high fever.

The others were advised to stay in self-quarantine for 14 days in their respective homes, he added.

Meanwhile, two persons were pushed back from Sylhet Osmani International Airport yesterday.

They are of Bangladeshi origin but citizens of France and Portugal.

They arrived from the UK via Biman flight BG-202 and landed at the airport around 10:30am, reports our Sylhet correspondent.

Airport manager Hafiz Ahmed confirmed the matter, quoting immigration authority, and said that they were handed over to Biman.

BIMAN SUSPENDS FLIGHTS ON 3 ROUTES

Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines yesterday cancelled all flights to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Singapore routes -- as per decisions of UAE and Singapore authorities amid the pandemic.

"We suspend all flights to Dubai and Abu Dhabi from March 19 to 31 as per decision of the UAE," Biman Managing Director and CEO Md Mokabbir Hossain told media. 

The national flag carrier operated 14 flights on the Dhaka-Abu Dhabi and Dhaka-Dubai routes per week.

However, UAE carriers, including Emirates Airlines, will continue flight operations to Dhaka to carry transit passengers to other destinations like the UK, the USA and Canada.

The Biman MD last night also in a Whatsapp message to journalists said it was forced to suspend all its flights to Singapore from March 21 to 31.

Earlier, the national flag carrier suspended operations in Kolkata, Delhi, Muscat, Kuwait, Doha, Kuala Lumpur, Madina, Dammam, Jeddah, Riyadh and Kathmandu routes, due to outbreak of Covid-19. In one month from February 28, the national airliner was forced to cancel at least 330 international flights on different routes, said Tahera.

Biman has so far incurred a loss of Tk 270 crore in the last two months, she added. 

(Our Sylhet Correspondent contributed to file this report)