ছবি: Photo: Collected
Chittagong’s Shah Amanat International Airport has introduced an ambulance service to cater to sick expatriates in emergencies. The service was inaugurated on Wednesday, February 19, in a joint initiative between the Civil Aviation Authority and BRAC’s Migration Program. The event was attended by Group Captain Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun, the airport’s director, who formally launched the service.
The inauguration ceremony was also graced by Shariful Islam Hasan, Associate Director of BRAC’s Migration Program and Youth Platform, and Kamrul Islam, Superintendent of Police for the special branch of the airport.
During the ceremony, Group Captain Sheikh Abdullah Al Mamun emphasized the importance of having such services available, particularly as many international flights arrive in Chittagong from the Middle East. “There are instances where emergency ambulance services are necessary, and now we will be able to provide this vital assistance to expatriates in urgent need,” he stated.
Shariful Islam Hasan added that Chittagong is one of the leading districts in Bangladesh in terms of the number of people traveling abroad. He highlighted that while many leave for foreign employment, a significant number return home empty-handed. BRAC first launched its efforts to assist these returnees at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, and the same services have been extended to Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong over the past five years. Hasan underscored the importance of establishing a proper framework or standard operating procedure (SOP) at airports to ensure that all involved are aware of their responsibilities. He stressed that both government and non-government entities need to collaborate to ensure the successful implementation of these services.
The event also featured speeches by Kamrul Islam, Superintendent of Police for the special branch of Shah Amanat International Airport, as well as other prominent figures such as Wing Commander Rezaul Haque, Commander of the Task Force at the airport; Squadron Leader Tariq Aziz Mridha, GSO-2 from the Directorate General of Defense Intelligence; Abu Mohammad Omar Sharif, Assistant Director of Civil Aviation (Fire); and Mohammad Ibrahim Khalil, Public Relations Officer of the airport.
In addition to the officials from the Civil Aviation Authority and the expatriate welfare desk, the event was attended by representatives from immigration police, government agencies, private organizations, journalists, and members of civil society.
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