Flight operations to Riyadh have been temporarily suspended following a decision by Saudi authorities, but services will resume as soon as official clearance is granted, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Monday.
Speaking to reporters after an evening inspection of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), the minister stated that the government is actively working on alternative arrangements—such as rerouting some passengers through Dammam or Madinah—to minimize disruption and reduce passenger hardship.
During his visit to the airport, Minister Millat inspected the baggage belt area and interacted directly with passengers to learn about their travel experience and baggage retrieval process. He noted that passengers reported receiving their luggage within 15 to 20 minutes and expressed satisfaction with the newly introduced live baggage monitoring system, while voicing expectations that this high standard of service will be maintained in the future.
Emphasizing the government's commitment to maintaining passenger service standards and reducing hassle, Rashiduzzaman Millat assured that initiatives aimed at enhancing service quality, ensuring transparency in baggage management, and preventing passenger suffering will continue. Ministry Secretary Nurnahar Chowdhury and senior officials from the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) were present during the inspection.
Meanwhile, Minister for Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ariful Haque Chowdhury addressed reporters at a press conference at HSIA on the same day. Prior to the event, he handed over luggage trolleys at the airport to facilitate smooth baggage handling for outbound and returning migrant workers.
