'Biman pilot was not detained or arrested'

Desk Report: Biman Bangladesh Airlines has said a pilot of the national flag carrier, who was allegedly denied entry by Qatar immigration at Doha International Airport for not carrying his passport, was not detained or arrested by the authorities there.

Mentioning that some media outlets published reports that the pilot was “detained or arrested by the Qatar immigration” for not carrying his passport, Biman on Friday issued a statement clarifying that no such incident of detention or arrest took place in this connection.

“After landing at the Doha airport on June 5, Captain Fazal Mahmud noticed that he was not carrying his passport. In this situation, he did not go to the immigration check-post at the airport and instead informed the Biman station manager in Doha and also Biman’s Dhaka office in this regard,” read the statement undersigned by Shakil Meraj, general manager (public relations) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines.

“Later, Captain Mahmud went to Orix transit hotel before the immigration check-post in the airport and stayed there. On June 6, he received his passport after it was sent from Bangladesh and completed his immigration formalities without any complication and went to Crown Plaza Hotel in Doha,” it read.

“Presently, he is staying at the hotel, and as per decision of Biman authorities he will operate the flight BG126 from Doha to Dhaka on June 10 morning.”

The authorities called upon all concerned not to spread any further confusion in this regard, the statement added.

risingbd/Dhaka/June 07, 2019/AKA