At least 5,418 passengers travelling from Bangladesh to Saudi Arabia have been affected by disruptions to 51 flights following the deadly attack on Riyadh’s international airport, leaving hundreds of expatriate workers facing uncertainty over their jobs, visas and return to the kingdom.
The crisis deepened on Monday as the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) confirmed the cancellation of 12 Dhaka-Riyadh flights over three days, while the government announced plans to arrange alternative travel through Medina and Dammam for workers whose visas are nearing expiry.
The disruptions have affected both direct and connecting flights, with passengers stranded at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport and others forced to return home without knowing when they can travel.
Many are migrant workers returning to Saudi Arabia after visiting their families. For them, the uncertainty extends beyond cancelled flights to the possibility of losing their livelihoods.
The aviation disruption follows Saturday’s attack on King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh, which killed two Bangladeshis and injured 24 others, according to Bangladesh’s foreign ministry.
51 flights affected, 12 cancelled
According to CAAB data, 51 flights connecting Bangladesh with Saudi Arabia have been affected by the suspension of operations at Saudi airports.
Of these, 12 are direct flights and 39 involve transit connections. Some have been cancelled, while others remain suspended or disrupted.
As of Monday afternoon, CAAB confirmed that 12 Riyadh-bound flights from Dhaka had been cancelled since Saturday.
These include four operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, two by US-Bangla Airlines, three by Saudia and three by Riyadh Air.
The cancelled flights were scheduled to carry 4,815 passengers, according to the authority.
CAAB Assistant Director (Public Relations) Muhammad Kawsar Mahmud told Dhaka Tribune that the cancellations had caused serious inconvenience to more than 4,000 passengers.
He said airlines would announce revised schedules after assessing the situation.
“We have advised passengers to stay in touch with the airlines,” he added.
Reuters reported that flight operations at Riyadh’s King Khalid International Airport had been suspended following the attack.
Airport authorities advised travellers to confirm their flight status with airlines before travelling to the airport.
Flight-tracking information from Flightradar24 also indicated widespread cancellations and diversions involving Riyadh-bound services.
‘If I cannot return, I may lose my job’
Abdul Alim, a Saudi expatriate from Comilla, was scheduled to depart for Riyadh on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at 2am on Sunday.
He left home in the morning and reached Shahjalal International Airport around 8pm, only to find that his journey would not go ahead.
“The flight was at 2am, yet here I am, still waiting,” he told Dhaka Tribune.
Alim said passengers should have been informed earlier about the disruption, particularly as attacks and cancellations had already been reported over the preceding days.
“They could have informed us beforehand that the flight wouldn’t operate; instead, we have been subjected to this harassment,” he said.
But his greatest concern was not the hours spent waiting at the airport.
“I am now deeply worried; on one hand, there is the fear of losing my job with my employer in Saudi Arabia, and on the other, uncertainty about whether I will get a refund for the ticket or when I might be able to travel again.”
Ibrahim Molla, who travelled from Brahmanbaria for a Sunday night flight, expressed similar fears.
“My luck is bad; if I can’t leave now, I worry about how I will save my job. If I stay in the country, my wife and children will starve,” he said.
Their concerns were echoed by Shah Alam, another expatriate returning to Saudi Arabia after a holiday.
Despite purchasing his ticket in advance and arriving at the airport with his family, he learned that his flight had been cancelled.
He said he had received no clear information about when he could depart.
Any prolonged delay, he feared, could create problems with his employer, visa validity and conditions of employment.
Night of uncertainty at airport
A visit to Shahjalal International Airport found groups of expatriate passengers waiting outside Terminals 1 and 2.
Some had spent the entire night there after their flights were cancelled. Others were seeking information from airlines or preparing to return home.
Manik, who travelled from Chandpur to see off his brother Mobarak, said they arrived on Sunday evening only to discover that the flight would not operate.
After spending the night alternately standing and sitting outside the terminal, they finally decided to return home on Monday morning.
For passengers travelling from districts outside Dhaka, the cancellations have also meant additional transport costs, accommodation difficulties and uncertainty over whether they will have to make another journey to the capital.
Govt plans special flights, fee-free rebooking
State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashiduzzaman Millat said that the government was taking steps to reduce the financial and employment-related difficulties facing stranded passengers.
Speaking after a meeting with representatives of domestic and international airlines at the Secretariat, he said instructions had been issued to reissue tickets without cancellation fees.
The minister said arrangements were also being made for passengers whose Saudi visas were approaching expiry.
“Arrangements are being made to send those whose visa validity is expiring to Saudi Arabia via special flights from Medina and Dammam airports,” he said.
Earlier in the day, the minister cited the cancellation of 10 flights affecting 3,431 passengers. CAAB subsequently reported 12 cancellations by Monday afternoon.
The proposed alternative flights could offer relief to workers facing immediate deadlines, although detailed schedules and eligibility arrangements have yet to be announced.
Two Bangladeshis dead, 24 injured
The aviation crisis has unfolded alongside growing concern for Bangladeshis caught in the attack on Riyadh airport.
The foreign ministry identified the two deceased Bangladeshis as Md Shahed Ahmed and Md Nasrullah Badarpuri.
According to information received from the Bangladesh Embassy in Riyadh, another 24 Bangladeshis were injured.
Of them, 11 were employed in Saudi Arabia, while 13 had travelled to the kingdom on Umrah visas.
The injured were receiving treatment at hospitals in Riyadh, with embassy officials maintaining contact with hospital authorities to obtain updates and ensure necessary assistance.
Approximately 500 Bangladeshi passengers were also reported stranded at Riyadh airport amid the suspension of operations.
Saturday’s attack, attributed to Houthi rebels, has disrupted one of Saudi Arabia’s major international aviation hubs and complicated travel arrangements for thousands of passengers.
For Bangladesh, where large numbers of workers depend on employment in Saudi Arabia, the consequences are particularly serious.
While the government explores alternative routes and airlines prepare revised schedules, stranded passengers remain uncertain about when they can return to work, and whether their employers will wait for them.
