Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester Direct Flights Resume After Four Months

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has resumed its direct Dhaka-Sylhet-Manchester flights after a suspension of four months. Today, Sunday (July 5), Biman's flight BG-208 landed at Sylhet MAG Osmani International Airport at 12:04 PM carrying 268 passengers from Manchester, UK. Among the arrivals, 227 passengers disembarked in Sylhet while the remaining 41 proceeded to Dhaka.

Upon arrival, the passengers were warmly received with flower bouquets by Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita, Commerce Minister Khondoker Abdul Muktadir, Prime Minister's Advisor on Foreign Affairs and Civil Aviation Humayun Kabir, and Sylhet Development Authority (SDA) Chairman Rezaul Hasan Koyes Lodi. Among others, Acting Deputy Commissioner of Sylhet Pinky Saha, General Secretary of Sylhet City BNP Imdad Hossain Chowdhury, and Director of Osmani International Airport Hafiz Ahmed were also present.

Speaking on the occasion, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita stated that it was a long-standing demand of expatriates to restore the direct Sylhet-Manchester flight. Efforts will be made to operate flights on this route regularly while maintaining quality passenger service. In response to a query, she added that the flight route was revived under the direct guidance of Prime Minister Tareq Rahman.

Talking to journalists after the landing, Commerce Minister Khondoker Abdul Muktadir announced that initiatives would be taken to launch flights on the Sylhet-Cox's Bazar route in the future. Furthermore, there is a comprehensive plan to upgrade Sylhet Osmani International Airport into an effective international-standard facility and establish it as a regional aviation hub. He also urged Biman to keep domestic airfares, including Sylhet-Dhaka and Sylhet-Chittagong routes, within the reach of ordinary citizens.

Prime Minister's Advisor Humayun Kabir remarked that the government restored the flight following the promise made to expatriates prior to the election.

Earlier on Saturday, July 4, Biman's flight BG-207 departed for Manchester with 192 passengers, including 171 from Sylhet and 21 from Dhaka. With this resumption, vital air connectivity has been restored for thousands of non-resident Bangladeshis living in the northern region of the UK, particularly those hailing from Sylhet.

According to sources, a brief ceremony was organized at Manchester Airport yesterday to mark the resumption of the flight. The Assistant High Commissioner of Bangladesh to Manchester, the Deputy Managing Director of Biman, airline officials, the flight crew, and a representative from Manchester Airport attended the event.

Notably, on January 29 of this year, Humayun Kabir, along with UK BNP leaders, held a meeting with Dr. Khalilur Rahman, former security advisor of the interim government and director of Biman Bangladesh. The resumption of the flight was strongly highlighted during that meeting. Later, at a press conference at the Dhaka Reporters' Unity on February 4, he announced that the flight would be reintroduced if the BNP formed the government. Within four months of the new administration taking office, that commitment has been fulfilled.

//DBTech/ETN/EK//