Bangladeshi passengers on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Toronto endured a nearly 40-hour ordeal at Rome airport after a technical problem grounded their flight, with many claiming they were left stranded in the airport lounge due to visa restrictions.
“We spent 40 hours like nomads. Eight hours were spent inside the aircraft. We were then taken to the airport lounge and told we would be taken to a hotel. But passengers holding US and Canadian passports were taken to hotels, while we, the Bangladeshi passport holders, were left in the lounge,” passenger Shahjahan Alam said after arriving in Dhaka.
The flight landed in Dhaka at 12:24pm on Sunday, and passengers began disembarking around 1:30pm, many visibly exhausted.
“They did not value our passports at all. We could not even eat the food they provided. Overall, we spent nearly two days like nomads,” Shahjahan said.
Another passenger, Anika, said they learned about the technical problem after three hours.
“We were kept inside the aircraft for another five hours before being allowed to disembark. An airline official later came and apologised,” she said.
Anika said Bangladeshi passport holders were kept in the lounge while US and Canadian passport holders were accommodated in hotels.
“We spent 40 hours sitting on chairs. Biman and our embassy could have arranged accommodation for us as well. They even offered visas on arrival, but due to negligence by officials, we had to suffer so much,” she said.
Passenger Shafayat Hossain urged the government to strengthen the Bangladeshi passport.
“As there is a new government and everything is being renewed, we do not want to see the old faces at Biman and the embassy. Still, we thank the government for bringing us back,” he said.
Dhaka University teacher Sayem Rana also criticised the handling of the situation.
“What is the point of reporting on Biman? Where was the coordination? How could we spend so many hours sitting on chairs? We suffered tremendously, yet no one spoke up,” he said.
Mahmuda Talukdar, another passenger, said she was accommodated at a hotel because she held a Canadian passport.
“I was spared the ordeal because I had my young daughter with me. But those who remained at the airport suffered greatly,” she said.
Passengers said the ordeal was particularly difficult for elderly people and children, who had to sit on chairs or sleep on the floor. They urged Biman to improve its services, warning that the national flag carrier could face serious consequences if such problems continue.
Biman flight BG306 departed Toronto for Dhaka on Thursday with 259 passengers. It made a scheduled stop at Rome airport for refuelling, where a technical problem was detected.
After an eight-hour effort failed to resolve the problem, the flight was cancelled and passengers were disembarked. Biman authorities subsequently arranged accommodation for some passengers at hotels and others in the airport lounge.
An engineering team carrying the necessary parts and equipment arrived in Rome at around 11:15pm Bangladesh time on Saturday. The team repaired the aircraft, making it fit for flight.
As the aircraft remained grounded for an extended period and many passengers were unable to leave the airport due to visa restrictions imposed by Italian immigration authorities, they were forced to remain at the airport.
Passengers alleged that they were kept inside the aircraft for nearly eight hours after landing in Rome before being informed about the technical problem. Several children, elderly passengers and those who were ill reportedly became unwell during the prolonged wait.