Bangladesh suspends immigration official for allowing pilot travel abroad without passport to fly back PM
| DHAKA, June 9 (Xinhua) — An immigration official at Bangladesh’s premier airport here has been suspended from work for allowing a pilot to travel abroad without passport to bring back Bangladesh’s Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. The Immigration Department’s sub-inspector Kamruzzaman on Wednesday night gave immigration clearance to pilot Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury of the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines who was subsequently denied entry at the immigration of Doha International Airport in Qatar for not carrying his passport, a senior official at the Immigration Department said Sunday. The official who preferred to be unnamed said, “The immigration official has been temporarily suspended.” adding that Kamruzzaman had asked the pilot to demonstrate his passport before immigration clearance but the pilot said his passport was in the luggage. “Since he was a senior pilot and operated flights regularly, Kamruzzaman said he gave him clearance after checking his general declaration.” Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told media on Sunday that they are investigating how Chowdhury traveled to Qatar on Wednesday without the passport. “We’ll also study international rules and regulations in this connection.” Chowdhury flew a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka for Qatar on Wednesday night to fly back the prime minister before he was denied entry into Qatar. Hasina returned home on Saturday morning from Finland on a special Biman flight operated by another pilot. Enditem |