In a concerning security and procedural lapse, 71 passengers bound for Malaysia vanished from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) shortly before their scheduled flight.
The incident occurred on Saturday night, July 4, involving Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight BG-386.
The Boeing 787 Dreamliner departed for Kuala Lumpur at 8:35 PM. While the flight was originally scheduled to carry 245 passengers, 76 individuals ultimately did not board the aircraft.
The Sequence of Events
According to airport sources, the chain of events began at the boarding gate when authorities identified five passengers whose visas were either fraudulent or contained significant discrepancies.
Upon the news that these five individuals had been intercepted, the other 71 passengers—who were part of the same group—abruptly left the airport premises instead of boarding the flight.
The lapse has raised serious questions regarding airport security and documentation protocols. Reports indicate that these passengers received boarding passes from the airline’s check-in counters without their visas being properly verified.
Furthermore, they were cleared through immigration, allowing them to reach the boarding gate before the discrepancies were finally flagged.
Suspected Human Trafficking Link
Airport sources suggest that all 76 passengers who failed to board were traveling on tourist visas. It is widely suspected that they were part of an organized effort, facilitated by a travel agency, to relocate to Malaysia under the guise of tourism.
An eyewitness noted that during the boarding process, several passengers were pulled aside for questioning due to visa irregularities. Shortly thereafter, the other members of the group in the boarding line disappeared.
Some reports also suggest that immigration police had previously offloaded several other passengers due to concerns regarding their travel motives, specifically noting that some intended to travel to Saudi Arabia for Umrah via Malaysia, which aroused suspicion among security personnel.
Lack of Official Response
Multiple attempts to reach responsible officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport for comment on the breach have been unsuccessful.
The incident highlights significant gaps in the coordination between airline check-in procedures, immigration verification, and final boarding security checks.
