Biman pilot still in coma

Condition of Biman pilot Capt Nawshad Ataul Quaiyum, who suffered a heart attack while commanding a Muscat-Dhaka flight, remains the same. He is in coma in a hospital in Nagpur.

"His condition is the same as yesterday [Saturday] … he is still in coma at the ICU," said a senior official of Kingsway Hospital, wishing not to be named.

His view was echoed by a senior Biman official in India.

Requesting anonymity, the official said yesterday, "His [pilot] condition is the same as before," reports our Delhi correspondent.

The pilot's condition is still serious and he remained on ventilation support as he suffered brain hemorrhage and bled profusely, said the officials.

A medical board has been formed to treat the pilot. The team includes Subhrajjit Dasgupta, director medical services, Ranjan Barokar, critical care physician, and Virender Belekar, critical care physician.

Initially, Capt Nawshad suffered a cardiac arrest in flight and later a CT scan revealed his brain hemorrhage.

On Saturday, Roshan Fulbandhe, assistant general manager of Kingsway Hospital, said, "Capt Nawshad's condition is severe … he is surviving with full ventilation support … he suffered brain hemorrhage and bleeding profusely… he remains unconscious."

He said initially the pilot suffered a cardiac arrest onboard the flight and after that he was taken to the emergency ward of the hospital with "unresponsive and unconscious" condition.

Roshan said an angiogram was done which brought out 60-70 percent blockage in his two arteries. As per the cardiac arrest protocol, the patient was then put on ventilator.

Asked, Biman Managing Director and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal told The Daily Star that two sisters of the pilot reached Kingsway Hospital yesterday.

Our Delhi correspondent reports that wife of Capt Nawshad was supposed to reach the hospital last night.

Different media in Dhaka yesterday reported that Capt Nawshad died.

Capt Mahbubur Rahman, president of Bangladesh Airlines' Pilot Association, a platform of pilots of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said the news on the demise of Capt Nawshad was a rumor.

Carrying 124 passengers on board, the Dhaka-bound Biman flight BG 022 from Muscat made an emergency landing at Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar International Airport in Nagar on Friday morning after Capt Nawshad suffered a cardiac arrest.

Capt Nawshad joined Biman in 2002.