Bangladesh crisis: In light of the ongoing situation in neighbouring Bangladesh, Air India has announced a one-time waiver on rescheduling fees for confirmed tickets on flights to and from Dhaka between August 4 and August 7. Additionally, the operator said that it would operate its evening flights on the Delhi-Dhaka-Delhi sector.
Bangladesh plunged into uncertainty as unprecedented street protests over job quotas led to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's resignation and escape from the country. The violence which started with the protest demanding to scrap the quota for the descendant of the 1971 war veterans has so far claimed over 300 lives.
Air India on rescheduling of confirmed tickets
Air India in an X post said, "Air India will operate its evening flights AI237/238 on the Delhi-Dhaka-Delhi sector on 6 August 2024. In addition, due to the prevailing situation in Dhaka, Air India is offering a one-time waiver on rescheduling to customers, with confirmed bookings on any Air India flight to and from Dhaka between 4th and 7th August 2024, if they desire to do so. The tickets would have to be booked on or prior to 5th August. We would like to reiterate that at Air India, the safety of our customers and crew remains top priority."
"For more information, please connect with our Contact Centre at 011 69329333 , 011 69329999 or visit our website http://airindia.com," it added.
IndiGo, Vistara halt services
Earlier, Air India had cancelled morning flights to Dhaka from Delhi amid massive anti-government protests in Bangladesh. IndiGo and Vistara also cancelled all their flights to the Bangladesh capital today. Vistara operates daily flights from Mumbai and three weekly services from Delhi to Dhaka.
Indigo Airlines also issued a travel advisory in view of unrest in Bangladesh. "In view of the ongoing situation in Dhaka, all flights scheduled for tomorrow have unfortunately been cancelled. We understand that this may cause significant inconvenience and disruption to your travel plans and we sincerely regret this development," Indigo said in an X post on Monday.
Bangladesh protests
The death count from ongoing anti-government protests in Bangladesh surged to 440 on Tuesday, with an additional 100 fatalities reported following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s departure from the country, according to local media. The protests, which have gripped the nation, were sparked by widespread discontent over a controversial job quota system, and have resulted in unprecedented levels of violence. As unrest continued to sweep across the country, the Bangladeshi army intensified efforts to restore law and order, deploying troops to violence-hit areas.
It should be noted here that the protests began peacefully as frustrated students demanded an end to a quota system for government jobs, but the demonstrations have since morphed into an unprecedented challenge and uprising against Hasina and her ruling Awami League party. More than 11,000 people have been arrested in recent weeks. Bangladesh is facing a fluid political situation as of now with Sheikh Hasina resigning from her post in the wake of mounting protests.
