United News of Bangladesh

Passengers stranded due to the closure of Riyadh airport in Saudi Arabia will be transported to their destinations via alternative flights through Dammam and Madinah, subject to seat availability, at no extra cost, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said on Monday. So far, 10 Biman Bangladesh Airlines flights have been cancelled due to the airport closure, leaving 3,431 passengers unable to travel to their intended destinations, the minister told reporters at Secretariat before a meeting on operating international flights from Cox's Bazar Airport. He said the relevant airlines have been instructed to minimise passengers' suffering by arranging alternative flights and informing passengers about cancellations in advance. The minister said it remained uncertain when Riyadh airport would reopen, adding that international flight operations to the airport have been suspended for airlines worldwide. “This is not just a problem for our passengers; it is a global issue. Flights operated by airlines from around the world that land at Riyadh or use it as a transit point have been halted,” he said. Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director Kaizer Sohail Ahmed said the airline has offered to transport affected passengers through Dammam and Madinah, where it operates flights, without charging additional fares. “If passengers contact us, we will make the necessary arrangements, subject to seat availability,” he said. He said Saudi Arabia is a key destination for Biman, with a large Bangladeshi population living there, and the airline is making efforts to assist affected passengers. However, he said the uncertainty over the duration of the airport closure has made planning difficult. “We have not been given a clear timeline, such as whether the airport will remain closed for three or five days. At one point, we are told it will remain closed until 1:00 am, and then the deadline is extended to 7:00 am the following morning. It is difficult to plan international passenger transport under such circumstances,” he said. Kaizer said Biman would try its best to transport passengers to Saudi Arabia through alternative routes, taking into account individual circumstances, including work permits and family issues. He said flights to Riyadh have been suspended for four days and the situation remained uncertain. Passengers are being updated on flight schedules and cancellations through television news tickers, Biman's website, its Facebook page and call centre, he added. In addition, instructions are being given to inform passengers about flight cancellations in advance and those who had already arrived at the airport received assistance to minimise their inconvenience, he said. The airline is making every possible effort to assist the passengers, the Biman MD said.  

Muslim devotees from across the world are coming into Saudi Arabia in large numbers taking advantage of the holy month of Ramadan contributing to huge crowd at the two holiest cities- Makkah and Madinah. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is witnessing a growing number of Umrah pilgrims from countries around the world, including from Bangladesh, since the beginning of Ramadan. Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, offers the best weather, and this holy month, dedicated to prayer, self-reflection, and religious devotion, also traditionally marks the peak season to perform Umrah. Though Makkah is well-known for its excessive hot days, surprisingly, this March offers a pleasant weather. Thousands of Muslim devotees offered their Jummah prayers at the Grand Mosque in Makkah and the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah on Friday (March 15), the first Jummah of Ramadan. All the floors of the Grand Mosque and its adjacent courtyards were full of devotees, and the rows of devotees spilled over to the streets of the Central Haram area. Many of the Muslims offered Jummah from their respective hotels, which are connected with the Grand Mosque through audio transmission. Meanwhile, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Salman approved hosting 1,000 Umrah pilgrims from countries around the world during the year 2024. The guests representing the fourth and final batch of 2024, which includes 250 prominent Islamic Umrah pilgrims, male and female, representing 16 countries from the continents of Europe and Asia, are visitng the kingdom to perform Umrah. Read more: Saudi Arabia offers Nusuk platform for Bangladeshi visitors to increase accessibility and simplify Umrah Journey Islamic scholars, journalists, students, and influencers like the founder and CEO of 10 Minute School, Ayman Sadiq; and author, speaker, English teacher Munzereen Shahid are among the Bangladesh delegation members. "To be honest, I feel so lucky. I knew about the stories of these historical places. Now I had the opportunity to see in my own eyes," said Munzereen Shahid. She said there is no language barrier or cultural divide here. "I see an extraordinary unity among people. I have a desire to come again," said Munzereen who performed her first Umrah together with her husband Ayman Sadiq. "Had the honor of visiting the King Fahd Quran Printing Complex in Madinah, where millions of copies of the Holy Quran are printed every year. Madinah is peaceful," Ayman shared his experience of visiting the historic place in Madinah before performing Umrah. Talking to UNB, Musa Takai from New Zealand said, "It is quite unimaginable. I am grateful to Almighty Allah first and then to the Royal family for giving us this opportunity to perform Umrah." ​Musa expressed his sincere thanks and great appreciation to the Custodian of the two Holy Mosques and the crown prince for graciously hosting him to perform Umrah. He added that the kingdom always provides care and attention to the guests of Allah providing integrated services and stressed that the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques’ Umrah and Visitation Program is a wonderful model.