The left wing of a Hong Kong-bound Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight (BG078) caught on fire yesterday afternoon during take-off at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
However, no one was injured as fire-fighters doused the blaze immediately, according to the state news agency.
The second batch of 11 female migrant workers, scheduled to fly for Hong Kong, were on board the flight.
An official with the welfare desk at Shahjalal said the flight, which was scheduled to take off at 12:55pm, had been delayed due to technical problems.
The female workers were still waiting at the airport at the time of this report being filed at 7:00pm.
The female workers had received three months’ training at Keraniganj Technical Training Centre in Cantonese and English, Chinese cooking, operating washing machines and ironing.
Every worker will get a monthly wage of Tk40,400, with accommodation and food costs paid for.
They are being sent following an agreement between the Bureau of Manpower, Employment and Training (BMET) and Technic Employment Services, a Hong Kong-based recruiting agency, under a public-private partnership.
According to the agreement, workers are initially recruited for two years, with the contract renewable for three more years.
According to BMET officials, each female worker had to pay Tk20,000 to the private recruiting agency in service charge, including manpower clearance and government tax, while the Hong Kong-based recruiting agency is taking Tk104,000 from each one.
Officials added that this amount includes airfare, and training in both Bangladesh and Hong Kong. The workers were paying the Hong Kong recruiting agency from loans taken from the Probashi Kallyan Bank, the instalments for which will be deducted from their wages over a period of nine months, they said.
On May 10, the first batch of 11 skilled female migrant workers flew to Hong Kong on a Dragon Airlines flight.
Doli, the sister of Shefali, a migrant of the first batch, said, “I talked to my sister on Wednesday and she said she is doing well in Hong Kong.
“Everything is all right, according to what the recruiting agency pledged,” Doli said to the Dhaka Tribune over phone on Friday.
The rescheduled flight later left Hazrat Shahjalal’s tarmac at 10.20pm.
