Returning Hajj Pilgrims Stranded at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chattogram

A total of 378 Hajj pilgrims returning from Madinah, Saudi Arabia, were left stranded on the runway at Chattogram’s Shah Amanat International Airport on the morning of June 5 after their aircraft encountered a mechanical fault. The disruption occurred after Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ flight BG-138 landed at approximately 9:30 AM and remained stuck at the end of Runway-23 due to technical issues, causing the airport's runway operations to be halted for nearly two hours.

Confirming the incident, Shah Amanat International Airport’s Public Relations Officer, Engineer Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, stated, “After landing, the Biman Bangladesh flight from Madinah carrying Hajj pilgrims got stuck at the end of Runway-23 due to a mechanical fault. The aircraft was safely towed to the apron at 11:20 AM after resolving the issue.”

He added, “Due to this unexpected issue, the runway of Chattogram Airport remained closed for almost two hours. The flight was carrying 378 Hajj pilgrims.”

In a separate statement, Chattogram Airport's Assistant Security Supervisor Abdul Alam reported, “After flight BG-138 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines landed from Madinah, it got stuck at the end of the runway. The GSE team of Biman used a push cart to adjust the front wheel. Once corrected, the aircraft restarted its engines and was moved to Bay. Flight operations have now resumed at Chattogram Airport.”

According to a press release, “The Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-138 carrying 387 Hajj pilgrims from Madinah landed at Shah Amanat International Airport at 9:30 AM. The aircraft got stuck at the end of Runway-23 due to a mechanical fault. The aircraft was safely removed from the runway and brought to the apron at 11:20 AM. Due to this unforeseen issue, the runway at Chattogram Airport remained closed for nearly two hours. Operations have now returned to normal.”