Bangladesh suspends official for letting pilot travel without passport

Dhaka: An immigration official at the airport here has been suspended for allowing a pilot to travel abroad without passport to bring back Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, an official said on Sunday.

The Immigration Department's sub-inspector Kamruzzaman on Wednesday night gave immigration clearance to pilot Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury of the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines who was subsequently denied entry at the immigration of Doha International Airport in Qatar for not carrying his passport, reports Xinhua news agency.

The senior official said: "The immigration official has been temporarily suspended." adding that Kamruzzaman had asked the pilot to demonstrate his passport before immigration clearance but the pilot said his passport was in the luggage.

"Since he was a senior pilot and operated flights regularly, Kamruzzaman said he gave him clearance after checking his general declaration."

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal told the media on Sunday that they are investigating how Chowdhury travelled to Qatar on Wednesday without the passport.

"We'll also study international rules and regulations in this connection."

Hasina returned home on Saturday morning from Finland on a special Biman flight operated by another pilot.