A Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight was delayed by over four hours at Rome’s Fiumicino Airport on Tuesday after authorities found cockroaches and insects inside a cargo container attached to the aircraft.
The flight, BG355/356, operated by Biman’s Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner (registration S2-AJS), had landed in Rome from Dhaka and was preparing for its return leg to Bangladesh when airport officials detected a presence of “worms/insects” during the unloading process.
The incident led the airport’s concerned department to suspend all loading and unloading operations from the aircraft, citing hygiene and safety protocols. Initially, passengers remained onboard in a tense, uncertain wait, unsure how long the delay would last.
“We were just sitting inside, sweating and confused. No one told us how long it would take. They said insects were found in the cargo, but why are we stuck inside?” said Tanvir Hasan, a passenger en route to Dhaka to attend a family wedding.
Another passenger, Rokeya Rahman, shared her frustration: “We had elderly people and kids onboard. No refreshments, no updates. Just waiting and praying. It felt like a punishment.”
Eventually, the aircraft’s captain, Mehedi, advised airport officials to allow the full disembarkation of passengers to ease discomfort during the extended inspection.
After what Biman described as a "thorough investigation and necessary actions," Rome airport authorities cleared the aircraft for departure.
The return flight BG356 finally took off from Rome at 2140 UTC, over four hours behind schedule.
“This is a national carrier. Such negligence is unacceptable. The whole plane became a pressure cooker,” said Jahangir Alam, who was returning after a business trip in Italy.
Biman has yet to issue a formal apology to the affected passengers, though internal reports confirm the disruption was caused by insects found in the cargo.
Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiqur Rahman did not respond to Dhaka Tribune's requests for comment.
Meanwhile, passengers said they felt both “hassled and insecure” by the experience, calling for greater accountability from the national carrier.