Staff Reporter :
Biman may suspend its flights to China due to lack of passengers, said Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam on Monday.
Besides, there was another problem created about Bangladeshi pilots and crew who conducted flights to china recently as other countries rejected their visa applications.
“Those pilots and cabin crew, who returned from Wuhan, are not being allowed to enter other countries,” said Anwarul Islam at press briefing after a cabinet meeting at the secretariat.
He said the issue has been discussed at a meeting after the cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.
The Cabinet secretary said, there was a discussion regarding Coronavirus in China. In the meeting, the Biman secretary said that although there are four daily flights to China, only 10-12 passengers fly every day to the country (China) due to the virus.
“If this situation continues, the operator may shut down their flights,” he said.
The government has decided to bring back more 171 Bangladeshis who are staying in Wuhan, the Cabinet Secretary said.
He added, “But we cannot send our planes and pilots to Wuhan right now for the mentioned matter.”
“The Singapore government has rejected visa applications of Biman Bangladesh Airlines crew who visited Wuhan Coronavirus-hit Chinese city to bring back 312 Bangladeshis on Saturday,” he said.
The Biman crew is supposed to fly to Singapore as part of their duty.
Anwarul Islam, however, said, “We are communicating with some Chinese chartered planes to bring back the 171 people from China.”
Meanwhile, A press release of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said Tk 2.30 core has been spent for bringing back 312 Bangladeshis from Chinese city of Wuhan.
