A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight that was grounded in Rome due to a technical fault has arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
Flight BG 306 landed at 12:24pm on Sunday, airport Executive Director SM Ragib Samad confirmed to Bangla Tribune.
The flight departed Toronto, Canada, with 259 passengers on board on Thursday. It stopped at Rome airport for refuelling on Friday, where a technical fault was detected.
After around eight hours of efforts to resolve the issue, the flight was cancelled and passengers were disembarked. Biman authorities subsequently arranged accommodation for them in airport lounges and hotels where possible.
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 and prepared it for the return journey to Dhaka.
Meanwhile, passengers faced difficulties during their prolonged stay at the airport. Many were reportedly unable to leave the airport because Italian immigration authorities did not allow Bangladeshi passport holders to enter Italy without the required visas.
Passengers said they were kept inside the aircraft for around eight hours after being informed of the technical fault. Many children, elderly passengers and those who were ill reportedly became unwell during the wait.
The passengers were later taken into the airport. Although a lounge was arranged at around 11pm, it did not have enough space for everyone. Some passengers had to spend the night on floors and chairs, according to passenger accounts.
Passengers also complained about delays in receiving food during the prolonged wait. Some said they were unable to access essential medicines and insulin kept in their luggage in a timely manner.
The incident caused considerable hardship for passengers, particularly those travelling with children, elderly family members and medical conditions.