Browse Sections

• Education
• Business
• Blog
• Special reports

Biman boycott call

Shelina Begum
1/ 5/2008

PROMINENT members of Oldham's Bangladeshi community are threatening to boycott Bangladeshi Biman airlines if the treatment of travellers at Dhaka airport does not improve.

UK Bangladeshis are speaking out following the brutal beating of a popular television presenter, Rizwan Hussain by airport staff at Zia International Airport in Dhaka.

Mr Hussain was left with a broken arm and leg and bruises to sixty per-cent of his body after he entered a restricted area to assist a woman and her daughter with ticket problems.

He was taken into another room on suspicion of human trafficking, where he says he was beaten by airport staff for 55 minutes before being forced to sign a statement of guilt.

Five men were involved in the assault. When he was able to walk he was told he could leave the airport.

The incident left Bangladeshis throughout the UK feeling shocked and outraged. A demonstration was also held in London last weekend by the newly set up 'Justice for Rizwan Hussain' campaign to bring the five men to court. A petition has also been signed by 8,000 people on the social networking site, facebook.

Oldham Muslim Centre's fundraising officer and community campaigner Nanu Miah said several meetings were held by the OMC and other organisations to help with the campaign.

Mr Miah said people at the meetings were so angry at what had happened to Mr Hussain that they are calling for a boycott of the Biman airlines.

He said: "At the meeting people expressed deep anger at what had happened to Mr Hussain.

"People were left shocked by the incident. Mr Hussain is a very popular man amongst the Bangladeshi community in the UK and they feel if someone like him was treated so badly then other people must also get the same treatment.

"During the meetings many Oldhamers started telling horror stories about their own treatment at the airport.

"There were complaints of bribery, where if money wasn’t handed over to airport staff they were told they could not take items back to Britain with them.

"One man from Oldham told us how he was also beaten up by airport staff when he arrived at Zia International from the UK, he got so scared he left his luggage and passport at the airport and fled.

"If we stop travelling to Bangladesh by Biman Airlines, it will force the Bangladeshi authorities to stop what they are doing and listen to the concerns of travellers."

During the last meeting it was decided that as well at the boycott, they will also stop sending money to Bangladesh through government banks including Sonali in Manchester and if reassurances are not made by the Bangladeshi High Commission that treatment will improve, a demonstration will also be held outside the embassy in London.

Said Nanu: "I have travelled to many countries where people are welcomed at the airports, but in Bangladesh, you feel scared and intimidated, this should not be the way.

"What happened to Mr Hussain sent shockwaves across the country. He should not have been beaten up. This was an example of what Bangladeshis go through when they travel to their own country."

Most recent 1 of 1 user comments