220 Bangladeshis stranded at Kolkata airport arrive in Dhaka

A total of 220 Bangladeshis stranded at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport, Kolkata, have finally arrived in Dhaka. They were returning to Bangladesh from Malaysia. The Malindo Air flight, which departed from Kolkata at 1:30 am on Tuesday, landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka at 2:30 am, according to passenger Riaz Uddin Fahadi.

Previously, the Malindo Air flight (OD-162) from Kuala Lumpur to Dhaka made an emergency landing in Kolkata on Sunday night due to dense fog. The flight was originally scheduled to arrive in Dhaka at 3:00 am on Monday.

Passengers reported that despite 16 hours passing, no effort was made to repatriate them to Bangladesh from Kolkata. They also claimed that no water was provided to them, even as the morning turned into afternoon. Furthermore, they received no clear information regarding the time of their return from the Kolkata airport.

Authorities at Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport explained that the flight, which was supposed to arrive in Dhaka at 3:00 am on Monday, had to land in Kolkata due to the dense fog, with 220 passengers on board. Since then, the passengers have been waiting at the transit point. They were provided with food, water, and other essential services.

Fahadi said that despite multiple attempts to contact the airline, they were unable to get through to either the regional office in India or the headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. After news of the passengers' distress was reported in various newspapers, the airline authorities quickly took steps to ensure the passengers were returned to Dhaka.