Legal notice seeks Biman’s explanation for offloading 45 from Canada-bound flight

A Supreme Court lawyer has served a legal notice to Biman Bangladesh Airlines, seeking an explanation for offloading 45 Bangladeshi passengers from a Canada-bound flight.

The notice – served by lawyer Kazi Mosharrof Rashed – asked Biman Bangladesh Airlines Chairman Mostafa Kamal Uddin to respond within seven days.

On 7 November, the Biman Bangladesh Airlines offloaded 45 Bangladeshi passengers for seeking to travel to Canada under the guise of attending a wedding.

"After obtaining valid visas issued by the Canada High Commission, each of these passengers presented credible invitation letters alongside their visa applications. Subsequently, each passenger purchased a fixed-date, fixed-price flight ticket from Biman Bangladesh Airlines to travel to Canada. Upon completing their immigration procedures at Sylhet Osmani Airport, they arrived in Dhaka and were awaiting their connecting flight to Toronto in the transit lounge," reads the notice.

Meanwhile, on 6 November, officials and employees of Bangladesh Biman, stationed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, unjustly and unlawfully halted 42 passengers from boarding their flight to Canada. They falsely claimed the need to verify the validity of the invitation letters for Canadian visas, despite the passengers possessing valid visas, intercepting their journey to Canada, it said.

The notice stated why legal actions should not be taken against the Biman staff for negligence of duty and unwarranted, illegal harassment of passengers.