Woman dies on flight, son returns to Chattogram without her body

A Bangladeshi woman died after falling ill on a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight from Jeddah to Chattogram, leaving her son to return home without her body due to legal formalities in Oman.

Sanowara Begum, 55, from Satkania in Chattogram, was travelling on flight BG-136 with her son Ershad. She had gone to Saudi Arabia on July 25 to perform Umrah and was planning to stay with her two sons, who live there.

The flight departed Jeddah for Chattogram on Tuesday night. After Sanowara became critically ill during the flight, it made an emergency landing at Muscat International Airport so she could receive medical attention. She was examined at the airport and later pronounced dead.

Her body could not immediately be removed from the aircraft as permission from the Royal Oman Police was required under Omani law. The delay also left the flight’s onward journey uncertain.

After receiving permission, authorities removed the body from the aircraft and completed the necessary formalities before allowing the flight to continue to Chattogram. Ershad had to return to Bangladesh without his mother’s body.

According to local residents, Sanowara had been suffering from diabetes, high blood pressure and other health complications and had received treatment in Saudi Arabia.

Ibrahim Khalil, public relations officer at Shah Amanat International Airport, said the flight landed in Chattogram at 2:46pm on Wednesday.

Efforts are underway to bring Sanowara’s body back to Bangladesh through the Bangladesh Embassy in Oman.

sks