PM, delegation leave aircraft after technical fault delays flight in Japan

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and members of his delegation have disembarked from a Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at Japan’s Narita International Airport after a technical fault delayed their return to Dhaka for more than three hours.

Other passengers were also taken to the airport lounge while engineers worked to fix the problem, the airline’s public relations department said on Thursday.

The engineers may need another two to two and a half hours to resolve the fault, according to the airline.

Flight BG 377 was scheduled to depart for Dhaka at around 6:00pm local time, or 3:00pm Bangladesh time. However, about 40 minutes after the scheduled departure, the pilot informed passengers from the cockpit that the flight had been delayed due to a technical problem and apologised for the inconvenience.

In a statement issued in the evening, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said its flight crew and engineering team were working to resolve the issue. The airline said it would provide further updates in due course.

Prime Minister Tarique Rahman travelled to Japan on October 26 for a four-day official visit. During the visit, he held a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and met chairmen, chief executive officers and senior officials of Japanese private companies and financial institutions.

The meetings focused on strengthening economic and trade cooperation between Bangladesh and Japan and expanding Japanese investment in Bangladesh. The prime minister also exchanged views with members of the Bangladeshi community living in Japan.

sks