Capt Nawshad laid to rest

In tears and with profound grief, pilots and representatives from all airlines and operators of the country paid their last respects to Captain Nawshad Ataul Quaiyum in Dhaka yesterday.

A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight carrying the body of the Biman pilot landed at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport around 9:12am.

The flight came to the HSIA from Doha, landing at Nagpur Airport on the way to pick up Nawshad's body.

His fellow pilots stood in a line and paid their respects by removing their caps to receive him. They paid their last salute to the reputed aviator and carried the coffin on their shoulders.

Mahbub Ali, state minister for civil aviation, and Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman, chairperson of Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, placed wreaths at Nawshad's coffin.

State Minister Mahbub Ali told reporters, "We are deeply saddened by the untimely death of pilot Nawshad. His death is an irreparable loss for Biman."

Flanked by Biman officials, Biman Managing Director and CEO Dr Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal also paid tribute to Capt Nawshad.

From the airport, the coffin was taken to his Uttara residence in the capital.

Later around 3:50pm, Capt Nawshad was laid to eternal rest at Banani graveyard.

On August 27, Capt Nawshad had suffered a massive heart attack mid-air while commandeering a Muscat-Dhaka flight with 124 passengers on board.

He was admitted to Nagpur's Kingsway Hospital, where he laid in deep coma with ventilation support, following emergency landing of the BG-022.

He later died on August 30.

Born in 1977, Capt Nawshad Ataul Quaiyum joined Biman as a cadet pilot on November 13, 2000. In September 2002, he was promoted to first officer of F-28 after completing his training.

He became the first officer of the Airbus A-310 on May 14, 2006 and the first officer of Boeing 777 on December 14, 2011.

He was last promoted to captain of the Boeing 737 on January 25, 2016, a position he held until his death.