The Biman Bangladesh Airlines has thwarted the plans of 45 Bangladeshi passengers seeking to travel to Canada under the guise of attending a wedding.
The incident unfolded on November 10 as the passengers cleared immigration at Osmani International Airport in Sylhet, bound for Canada.
Despite possessing valid passports, country visas, and return flight tickets guaranteeing their post-wedding return, the airline staff at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka denied them boarding upon their arrival from Sylhet.
At the Dhaka airport, discrepancies in their travel documents were flagged at the check-in counter.
Notably, the 42 passengers shared a common wedding invitation but lacked individual hotel bookings, choosing instead a joint house rental. When questioned about this anomaly, each passenger provided a different explanation, intensifying suspicions.
To address these concerns, Biman Bangladesh Airlines sent emails to Canadian visa offices in Singapore and Delhi for verification, informing the passengers that boarding would be contingent on approval from Canadian authorities.
Shafiul Azim, managing director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said that discrepancies in the passengers' travel documents prompted the airline to contact Canadian authorities, who subsequently confirmed the fraudulent acquisition of visas.
Despite the airline's justification, expatriates from Sylhet residing in various countries expressed their discontent on social media.
They argue that they secured visas with correct documentation and purchased return tickets, only to be deliberately barred from boarding by Biman officials.
This denial has not only affected the passengers socially but has also resulted in financial losses, including the cost of their return tickets.
Some disgruntled passengers are contemplating legal action against the airline to seek compensation.
Sources suggest that certain travel agencies are involved in issuing fake invitations for travel to Canada, with some individuals seeking asylum upon arrival.
In the case of the 42 passengers, a syndicate from Sylhet and Canada allegedly orchestrated the issuance of visas through fraudulent wedding invitations.
These agencies charge Tk12-18 lakh per person for facilitating entry into Canada.
Biman CEO Shafiul Azim emphasized that taking such passengers to Canada would have incurred significant fines for the airline and damaged its reputation in the country.
Biman clarified that carrying passengers with false documents would have led to immigration blocks by Canada, imposing fines of $1,800 per passenger on the airline. Additionally, passengers of canceled or subsequent flights would have faced the inconvenience of heightened security measures.
