Rumours of a potential suspension of flights on the Sylhet-Manchester-Dhaka route by Biman Bangladesh Airlines have been dismissed, with the airline confirming no decision has been made.
Bosra Islam, general manager of Biman's Public Relations wing, told bdnews24.com on Sunday: "During the Hajj season, we require additional aircraft.
There is significant pressure on flights for Hajj. To manage this, Biman has stopped accepting bookings for this route after the 27th of April.
"However, no decision or announcement has been made to close the route."
When asked if losses on the route might lead to its closure, she said: "As the national carrier, Biman operates flights on many routes despite incurring losses.
"However, flights are maintained considering the needs of passengers. Those who protested acted based on assumptions."
Recently, Bangladeshi expatriates in the United Kingdom's North West protested amid rumours of the route's closure.
Previously operating three flights weekly, the route currently runs two flights per week.
Launched in October 2019, the Sylhet-Manchester route is Biman's sole direct flight connection to Manchester from Bangladesh.
Nearly 300,000 Bangladeshi expatriates live in Greater Manchester, Birmingham, Scotland, and other parts of northern England.
Protesters argue that since the flight lands directly in Sylhet from Manchester, it spares passengers the hassle of transit and reduces travel time, making it a preferred choice, especially for the elderly and those with health issues.
Nurul Ali, Biman's agent in Greater Manchester, said: "Tickets for this route are fully booked until mid-April.
"However, Biman has stopped taking bookings for travel beyond the 27th of April, sparking concerns that there may be an attempt to shut down the route again.
Expatriates have raised demands under the banner of different organisations in the North West to keep the flight operational.
On Dec 22, United Kingdom Non-Resident Bangladeshis, or UK NRB, and northwest residents held a protest rally at Oldham's Empire Suite at 11am local time (Bangladeshi time 5pm).
Junaid Ahmad, director of the UK NRB Society, said at the rally: "Attempts have been made to shut down this flight route several times in the past. Closing this route would create significant difficulties for passengers in this region."
He added that the current government, which claims to be pro-expatriate, should ignore any "conspiracies" and keep the Manchester route operational for the sake of the expatriates.
Mohammad Jamal Uddin, the organisation's another director, said: "The government supports many sectors with subsidies and calls expatriates 'remittance warriors', so why, under the guise of 'alleged losses', would they consider closing this flight? This decision defies logic.
"We urge the government to reconsider for the sake of the 300,000 expatriates. Otherwise, we will launch a stronger protest." —bdnews24.com
