The government on Friday formed a four-member inter-ministerial body to investigate the incident over Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ pilot’s travel to Doha, Quarter without passport.
It also directed the committee to probe the negligence of Immigration Authority at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in this regard.
Additional Secretary of Cabinet Division Mst Nasima Begum will head the team, while Joint Secretary (Political-1) of Public Security Division of Home Ministry Md Jahangir Alam will perform as member-secretary. Other members are Joint Secretary of Security Service Division of Home Ministry Md. Helal Mahmud Sharif and Joint Secretary of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Mustakim Billah Faruqui.
The probe body has been directed to submit a report to the Cabinet Division Secretary within three working days, according to a gazette issued by the Cabinet Division yesterday afternoon.
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines yesterday said Captain Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury, a pilot of the National Flag Carrier, who was refused entry by Qatar immigration at Doha International Airport for not carrying his passport, was neither detained nor arrested by the authorities there.
Contradicting some media outlets’ reports that the
pilot was detained by the Qatar immigration for not carrying his passport, Biman issued a statement yesterday clarifying that no such incident of detention or arrest took place in this connection.
“After landing at the Doha International Airport on June 5, Captain Fazal Mahmud realised that he was not carrying his passport. In this situation, he did not go to the immigration check-post at the Airport. He instead informed the Biman Station Manager in Doha and Biman’s Dhaka office in this regard,” said the official statement.
“Later, Captain Mahmud went to Orix transit hotel before the Immigration Check-post at the Airport and stayed there. On June 6, he received his passport after it was sent from Bangladesh and completed his immigration formalities without any complication and went to Crown Plaza Hotel in Doha,” it read.
“Presently, he is staying at the hotel, and as per decision of Biman authorities he will operate the flight BG126 from Doha to Dhaka on June 10 morning.”
The authorities called upon all concerned not to spread any further confusion in this regard, the statement added.
