Pilot who went to pick up B’desh PM Hasina fails to carry passport, caught

Dhaka: A Bangladesh pilot, who flew a special plane meant to bring Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina back from Finland after her three-nation visit, was caught without his passport at Qatar's international airport, according to media reports.

Captain Fazal Mahmud of Biman Bangladesh Airlines was denied entry at the immigration of Doha International Airport in Qatar on Thursday after it was found that he travelled without passport, the airline officials said.

The flag carrier sent the passport of the pilot in another flight to Qatar later, Civil Aviation Secretary Mohibul Haque told bdnews24.

The airline is now sending another pilot to bring Prime Minister Hasina back to Bangladesh, he added.

The Prime Minister is in Finland as part of her official trips to three countries. She had earlier visited Japan and Saudi Arabia. She is scheduled to return home on Saturday.

Fazal flew a Boeing 787 Dreamliner from Dhaka to Qatar on Wednesday night. The issue of him carrying no passport was discovered when the flight reached Qatar.

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan has said action will be taken against the pilot after an investigation into the incident.