Foreign minister, Biman trade blame over flight resumption with India

Foreign Minister and Biman Bangladesh Airlines are blaming each other over the delay in resuming flights with India inconveniencing several hundred passengers.

Aviation experts have criticised Biman's management for its unprofessional and imprudent handling of the matter and advised the national flag carrier to offer an apology to passengers. 

Talking to The Daily Star over the phone today Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen said he did not mention anything regarding resuming flights between India and Bangladesh from August 20.

"I said that flights between the two countries might resume on August 20," said the foreign minister.

India has informed the foreign ministry that they have agreed in principle to resume flights, he added.

"But the respective departments of the two countries will determine when and how the flights will resume. It is not the task of the foreign ministry to do that," he added.

When he was informed about Biman's announcement to operate flights to Delhi and Kolkota from today and many people already bought tickets resulting in uncertainty over their travel to and from India, Momen told this correspondent to ask the same question to Biman high-ups.

Contacted, a top Biman official said they made the announcement of resuming flights with India based on the foreign minister's statement.

Wishing anonymity, the Biman official also said as the foreign ministry announced this "we thought there is no uncertainty in it."