Tag Archives: Bangladesh

Indian Railways suspends trains to Bangladesh amid turmoil

Indian Railways on Monday suspended all train operations to Bangladesh amid the unrest in the neighbouring country.

Sheikh Hasina has resigned as the Bangladesh Prime Minister and fled the country amid escalating student-led protests.

The affected trains include the Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express (13109/13110), Kolkata-Dhaka-Kolkata Maitree Express (13107/13108), Kolkata-Khulna-Kolkata Bandhan Express, and Dhaka-New Jalpaiguri-Dhaka Mitali Express, which has been suspended since June 21.

In an address to the nation on Monday, Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman announced that Sheikh Hasina has resigned as the Prime Minister and that an interim government will be formed soon.

The student-led non-cooperation movement put immense pressure on the government led by Prime Minister Hasina over the past many weeks.

The students had been protesting against a 30 per cent reservation in government jobs for relatives of freedom fighters who wrested independence for Bangladesh from Pakistan in a bloody civil war in 1971 in which, according to Dhaka officials, three million people were killed in the genocide by Pakistani troops and their supporters. (Source: ANI)

Air India, IndiGo cancel flights to Dhaka amid political unrest

Air India and IndiGo have cancelled their scheduled flights to and from Bangladesh capital Dhaka with immediate effect, citing the emerging situation following Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s resignation amid unprecedented anti-government protests.
A Vistara official mentioned that the airline operated its flight from Mumbai on Monday and is closely monitoring the situation for Tuesday’s operations to Dhaka, news agency PTI reported.

Air India operates two daily flights from Delhi to Dhaka, while Vistara runs daily flights from Mumbai and three weekly services from Delhi to the Bangladesh capital. IndiGo also operates flights to Dhaka from the national capital, Mumbai, Chennai, and Kolkata. However, the number of flights operated by IndiGo could not be immediately confirmed.

Air India issued a statement on Monday informing, “In view of the emerging situation in Bangladesh, we have cancelled the scheduled operation of our flights to and from Dhaka with immediate effect. We are continuously monitoring the situation and are extending support to our passengers with confirmed bookings for travel to and from Dhaka with a one-time waiver on rescheduling and cancellation charges. Safety of our guests and crew remains our foremost priority.”

IndiGo also released a statement on X (formerly Twitter), saying, “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.”

India advises nationals to exercise caution amid violence in Bangladesh

India on Sunday night strongly advised all its nationals presently residing in Bangladesh to exercise “extreme caution” and restrict their movements in the wake of fresh waves of violence in the neighbouring country.

In its latest advisory, India also asked its citizens not to travel to Bangladesh till further notice.

At least 90 people, including 14 policemen, were killed on Sunday in fierce clashes between security forces personnel and anti-government protesters in different parts of Bangladesh, according to reports from Dhaka.

The protesters are demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina.

“In view of ongoing developments, Indian nationals are strongly advised against travelling to Bangladesh till further notice,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the advisory.

“All Indian nationals presently in Bangladesh are advised to exercise extreme caution, restrict their movements and remain in contact with the High Commission of India in Dhaka,” it said.

The student protests in Bangladesh started last month against a controversial job quota scheme. The protests now have turned into an anti-government agitation.

On July 25, the MEA said around 6,700 Indian students returned from Bangladesh in view of the situation in that country. (Source: PTI)

US issues advisory to citizens against travelling to Bangladesh

The United States has recommended that its citizens do not travel to Bangladesh and allowed the voluntary departure of its non-emergency government employees and family members in view of the ongoing civil unrest in the South Asian country.

The development comes just a day after the US issued a new travel advisory for Bangladesh, urging Americans to reconsider their travel to the strife-torn country.

Authorities in Bangladesh has imposed a strict curfew across the country and military personnel patrolled parts of the capital to quell further violence after days of clashes over the allocation of government jobs left more than 40 people dead and hundreds injured.

The US Department of State raised the Travel Advisory Level for Bangladesh to Level 4 — ‘Do Not Travel’.
“Do not travel to Bangladesh due to civil unrest, crime, and terrorism,” the State Department said, adding, “The department allowed for the voluntary departure of non-emergency US government employees and family members.”
“The Government of Bangladesh has declared a curfew throughout Bangladesh, ordering everyone to stay indoors. The Bangladeshi Army has been deployed throughout the country to reinforce the police. Telecommunications have been interrupted in Dhaka and across the country. Due to the security situation, there may be a delay in provision of routine consular services,” the advisory stated.

The US State Department said crimes such as muggings, burglaries, assaults, and illegal drug trafficking constitute the majority of criminal activity in Bangladesh’s major cities, but there are no indications foreigners are being targeted because of their nationality.

These crimes tend to be situational, based on time and location, it said.

The advisory said attacks can happen with little or no warning, with terrorists targeting public areas such as tourist locations, transportation hubs, markets/shopping malls, restaurants, places of worship, school campuses, and government facilities.

Because of the security concerns, US Embassy personnel in Bangladesh are subject to some movement and travel restrictions.

The US government may have limited ability to provide emergency services to its citizens in Bangladesh due to these travel restrictions, a lack of infrastructure and limited host government emergency response resources, it said.

The department asked US nationals to take certain precautions, such as avoiding demonstrations and political gatherings, monitoring local media for breaking events and being prepared to adjust plans, in case they decide to travel to Bangladesh.

“Do not physically resist any robbery attempt. Get to a safe area and report any criminal incident to local authorities. Enrol in the Smart Traveller Enrolment Program to receive alerts including updates on consular services so that it is easier to locate you in an emergency,” the other recommendations from the State Department stated.

(Source: PTI)

 

GITB in Rajasthan from May 5-7 to highlight ‘Wed in India’ theme

The Great Indian Travel Bazaar (GITB) 2024, scheduled to be held in Jaipur from May 5 to 7 will feature the “Wed in India” theme. It is noteworthy that Rajasthan is the most popular destination for destination weddings in the country and around the world. During the GITB, panel discussions will be organised with international and national-level wedding planners to discuss the Wed in India concept.

According to officials from the Tourism Department, Rajasthan’s destination weddings are quite popular among both domestic and foreign tourists. Therefore, organising the Wed in India Expo during GITB will prove to be quite instrumental in establishing Rajasthan as a premier destination for destination weddings.

During GITB, 11 international-level wedding planners and 30 national-level wedding planners have been specially invited to materialise the Wed in India concept, and highlight Rajasthan’s significant role in it.

It is noteworthy that Rajasthan is home to 75% of the country’s heritage forts and havelis, and what’s more, nearly a 100 of these heritage sites are being utilised for destination weddings.

Countries Participating in GITB:
Countries such as Argentina, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, the Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, South Africa, Spain, Thailand, Sri Lanka, England, the USA, and more than 50 other nations will be represented by over 250 delegates during GITB, covering various sectors of tourism.

Schedule Highlights:
On May 5th, the Wed in India Expo will be held at the Maharani Mahal Rambagh Palace from 9:45 am to 4:30 pm. The official inauguration ceremony of GITB will take place at Jay Mahal Palace at 6:30 pm. On May 6th and 7th, an exhibition will be held at the JEC Hall in Sitapura from 9:30 am to 6:00 pm, along with B2B meetings with foreign tour operators to promote tourism in the state. On May 8th, foreign tour operators will also be taken on a tour of Rajasthan.

Participation from Other States:
Apart from Rajasthan, other states including Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Goa, Tamil Nadu, and Odisha will also participate in GITB. Organizations such as FICCI, Indian Heritage Hotels Association, Rajasthan Association of Tour Operators, and Hotels and Restaurant Association of Rajasthan will also play significant roles in GITB.

‘India to rank among top 2 markets for Vietnam Airlines in 5yrs with USD 10mn revenue’

India is set to emerge among the top two markets globally for Vietnam Airlines in the next five years, with USD 100 million in revenue.

The flag carrier of Vietnam is expecting exponential revenue growth in FY25 with the addition of flights from Tier-II and III cities in India. It expects revenue of USD 60 million from the Indian market.

The airline expects a 40 per cent increase in capacity in the upcoming fiscal, said Nguyen Trung Hieu, Country Manager for India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, and Nepal at Vietnam Airlines in an interview with businessline. He further added that India is the fastest growing market for the airline.

Hieu said that since Vietnam Airlines started operation in 2022 in India, the flag carrier has seen a 40 per cent year-on-year growth every year. Speaking about the revenue growth, Hieu said, in FY24, the airline expects to cross revenue of USD 40 million.

“In FY25, we expect a revenue growth of USD 60 million. We are going to deploy our A350 aircraft for routes from India; we except that to add 40 per cent more capacity. This will help us boost our revenues tremendously,” he said.
Currently, Vietnam Airlines operates 14 flights weekly with its A321 aircraft from Delhi and Mumbai to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam. Furthermore, it provides connections to China, Japan, Korea, Australia and ASEAN countries from India.

When asked if the country is seeking more bilateral rights, Hieu said that the airline has spoken to its authorities seeking more seats from India. Currently, it is allowed to operate 14 flights weekly from the top five metro cities. However, it is allowed to operate flights from tier two cities. “We are exploring flights from Gujarat, Lucknow and Chennai in the coming fiscal. If we take these also into account, we believe that our revenues will be significantly higher than $60 million.”

He said point-to-point connectivity contributes to 65 per cent of its mix, whereas other connectivity to other destinations continues to contribute 35 per cent, with a passenger load factor of 80 per cent.

In the mid-term, he said, “India has the potential to become one of the top two revenue contributors for Vietnam Airlines.” According to him, China contributes USD 150 million, “We believe India can become one of the top two revenue contributors for the airline. In the next five years, India has the potential to contribute USD 100 million to our revenue.”

When asked if the airline is seeking codeshare agreements with Indian airlines, Hieu said, “We are in conversation with Air India and IndiGo for a codeshare.” With both these airlines, Vietnam airlines has an interline agreement. (Source: Businessline)