Prolonged blockades force air passengers from outside the capital to stay at the airport one or two days before the scheduled flight. The photo was taken from Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport Thursday. — FE Photo The ongoing 72-hour countrywide blockade caused immense sufferings to outbound air passengers at Dhaka's international airport.
Several hundred people, who had arrived at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) before the start of the latest spell of blockade, were passing hard time in and around the airport. Fresh spell of 72-hour blockade is due to begin tomorrow (Saturday) morning.
The BNP-led 18-party alliance enforced the blockade on Tuesday last demanding cancellation of the current election schedule for holding free and fair polls with participation of all parties.
While visiting the airport area, a good number of passengers were found staying there under the open sky or at the car park of the airport with little food and limited toilet facilities available.
The majority of them were migrant workers going abroad. They would lose their jobs in the event of failure to join work in time, the airport staffers and passengers told the FE.
Abdur Rahman, who stared for Dhaka Monday from Pabna, said he reached the airport four days ahead of his flight to Oman because of the blockade.
He also said he spent the two last nights outside the departure gate and had a few pieces of cake and bananas with him.
Similarly, Omar Faruque from Habiganj came to Dhaka Monday two days ahead of his flight, as he had no way to miss the flight to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Nasir Mia from Bogra said he also spent the last two nights under the open sky.
He said though they were passing hard time, the authority was not allowing them in the airport lobby.
Those who flew abroad in the last three days also faced sufferings.
There were about one hundred other people meeting the same fate.
One Afsar Hossain said he come to Dhaka Monday night and was staying in a hotel nearby so that he could come early to catch his flight.
He said the hotel room rents increased more than three times because of the pressure of passengers.
The usual rent of a hotel room was Tk 500. But now the hotel authorities were charging Tk 1,500 a room, he said.
Abdur Rashid, owner of Hotel Shahjalal, told the FE that they were doing good business when the demand for other services and goods were sagging over the country's political turbulence.
An official of the HSIA told the FE the passengers were being allowed in the lobby, whenever the flights could be confirmed.
According to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), currently the HSIA was handling four million passengers annually.
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