Qatar Airways flight from Europe arrives in Dhaka despite ban
Of the passengers – 68 are from Italy and 18 from Germany
A flight of Qatar Airways carrying 96 passengers from Europe has landed at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport today evening despite a ban imposed by the Bangladesh government.
"Of the passengers – 68 are from Italy and 27 from other European countries," said, Shahriar Sazzad, health officer-in-charge of Health Centre at Hazrat Shahajalal International Airport.
"The returnees were screened by the airport medical staff and were then sent to Ashkona Hajj Camp for check-up," he added.
The flight was scheduled to land at 4:30pm and later it landed at 6:48pm today.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman said, "The Foreign Ministry has given the approval to the flight as the last inbound flight from Europe on humanitarian ground."
"However, we will send a letter of dissatisfaction to the authorities of Qatar Airways in this regard," he added.
Earlier in the day, Dhaka airport Director AHM Touhid-ul Ahsan said all passengers coming from European countries will be pushed back after arrival here.
Earlier on March 14, the government suspended on arrival visas for all countries and banned flights carrying passengers from all European countries, except the United Kingdom, for two weeks in an effort to stop the spread of coronavirus.