Sylhet Correspondent :
Hajj pilgrims in Sylhet have expressed resentment over mismanagement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport that is delaying the delivery of their luggage.
Pilgrims have been returning to Bangladesh since September 27 but none of those living in Sylhet have received their baggage while some in Dhaka have received theirs.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, sources said, has been arranging luggage delivery of Hajj pilgrims for the last two years and appointed a private agency to do the task. Last year, the agency served the pilgrims moderately but they complained that it has completely messed things up this year.
The agency opened three booths – two in Mecca and the other in Medina – this year to receive the luggage from pilgrims, who boarded flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, just 24 hours before their departure from the kingdom. The pilgrims in Sylhet were supposed to get back their luggage right after landing at the airport but they did not.
Many pilgrims said they brought to Bangladesh a variety of stuff, including dates, from Saudi Arabia in their baggage and are now worried about when they would receive them.
Khandaker Sipar Ahmed, who returned on October 1, said he had paid all the fees to have his luggage brought to Bangladesh but was yet to receive it.
“Pilgrims are facing problems every year and Biman Bangladesh Airlines should be blamed for all these because it is Biman’s mismanagement that creates the troubles,” he said.
The manager (civil aviation) of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, Hafiz Ahmed, who himself performed Hajj this year, said he had not yet received his own luggage even though he boarded one of the early return flights.
Majibur Rahman, in-charge of Sylhet airport’s lost property service, said no luggage of pilgrims had reached Dhaka yet.
“I think those are still in Jeddah because if those reached Dhaka, the owners would have received theirs by now,” he said.
He also said he had been maintaining regular contacts with Dhaka airport officials.
Sylhet airport Manager Md Shawkat told he was on sick leave and was unable to make any comment on the delay in delivering luggage to pilgrims.
Hajj pilgrims in Sylhet have expressed resentment over mismanagement at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport that is delaying the delivery of their luggage.
Pilgrims have been returning to Bangladesh since September 27 but none of those living in Sylhet have received their baggage while some in Dhaka have received theirs.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines, sources said, has been arranging luggage delivery of Hajj pilgrims for the last two years and appointed a private agency to do the task. Last year, the agency served the pilgrims moderately but they complained that it has completely messed things up this year.
The agency opened three booths – two in Mecca and the other in Medina – this year to receive the luggage from pilgrims, who boarded flights of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, just 24 hours before their departure from the kingdom. The pilgrims in Sylhet were supposed to get back their luggage right after landing at the airport but they did not.
Many pilgrims said they brought to Bangladesh a variety of stuff, including dates, from Saudi Arabia in their baggage and are now worried about when they would receive them.
Khandaker Sipar Ahmed, who returned on October 1, said he had paid all the fees to have his luggage brought to Bangladesh but was yet to receive it.
“Pilgrims are facing problems every year and Biman Bangladesh Airlines should be blamed for all these because it is Biman’s mismanagement that creates the troubles,” he said.
The manager (civil aviation) of Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, Hafiz Ahmed, who himself performed Hajj this year, said he had not yet received his own luggage even though he boarded one of the early return flights.
Majibur Rahman, in-charge of Sylhet airport’s lost property service, said no luggage of pilgrims had reached Dhaka yet.
“I think those are still in Jeddah because if those reached Dhaka, the owners would have received theirs by now,” he said.
He also said he had been maintaining regular contacts with Dhaka airport officials.
Sylhet airport Manager Md Shawkat told he was on sick leave and was unable to make any comment on the delay in delivering luggage to pilgrims.
