DHAKA, June 7, 2019 (BSS) – Biman Bangladesh Airlines today rejected media reports that one of its pilots was detained by Qatar immigration authority in Doha for not carrying his passport.
“Actually, no pilot of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was detained or arrested by the Qatar immigration authority in Doha,” a Biman press release said here today.
It said Biman’s Captain Fazal Mahmud operated the Dhaka-Chattogram-Doha flight BG-125 on June 5 but after landing in Doha, he noticed that his passport was not with him.
He informed the matter to Biman station manager in Doha and contacted with Dhaka headquarters right away.
As his passport was not with him, he checked in Hotel Arix which is located before the immigration checkpoint inside the airport, said the release.
On June 6, it said Biman Bangladesh authority sent his passport to Doha through another flight.
After getting the passport, Captain Mahmud passed the Qatar immigration in regular procedure without any hassle.
Currently, Captain Mahmud is staying Hotel Crown Plaza in Doha with Biman’s other crew members and he will fly back Dhaka by operating BG 126 flight on June 10 as per Biman authority’s decision, the release added.
However, the cabinet division today formed a four-member inter-ministerial committee to investigate Biman’s pilot’s travel to Qatar without passport and negligence of immigration authority at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in this regard.
The body headed by Additional Secretary of Cabinet Division Mosammat Nasima Begum has been asked to submit its report on an urgent basis to the cabinet secretary within three working days, a notification issued by the cabinet division said.
It said on June 5, Biman’s pilot Captain Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury was detained by the immigration authority at Doha Hamad International Airport in Qatar while travelling to Doha without passport.