What is the truth behind the Saudi plane's Mumbai 'landing' controversy?
Picture: Collected
Last Tuesday (February 20, 2024), a Saudi Airliner was not allowed to make an emergency landing at Mumbai airport, the world's one of the busiest airports. With these published news, the social media of Bangladesh was very active and extremely 'attempted to incite hatred towards India' made me interested to know more about the news. Especially when a class of so-called activists in Bangladesh (who are seen at various times trying to create confusion in the public mind by spreading misinformation) participate in this debate and become active in trying to portray Pakistan as 'superhuman' for 'allowing' the landing.
Pakistan-based newspapers including 'The News' have claimed that the pilot of the Saudia plane first sought permission from the air traffic controller to make an emergency landing at the airport in Mumbai, India. But the plane was not immediately allowed to land in Mumbai after the passenger's nationality and other details were ascertained.
The news further mentioned that the 44-year-old Bangladeshi passenger, Abu Tahir, sought permission from the Air Traffic Controller in Karachi, Pakistan, without getting permission to land in Mumbai due to the deterioration of his physical condition. A Riyadh-bound Saudi Airliner flight from Dhaka was given an emergency landing in Karachi. After receiving the permission, the plane made an emergency landing at Karachi's Jinnah International Airport at 7:28 am on Wednesday and the passenger was treated by the medical team of the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority and later the plane took off again from Karachi to Riyadh.
No source of information or statement of concerned persons was taken in the news which was spread by the mass media of Pakistan. A number of aspects have become clear in the way some Bangladeshi media and social media desperately propagated an unsourced news item with great importance. Firstly: Inciting anti-India feeling among the people of Bangladesh. On the other hand, promoting Pakistan as a 'humanitarian' country and trying to create a rift in the existing cordial relations between Bangladesh and India.
Contacting the Indian diplomatic sources to find out the truth of the matter, it is known that the Saudi Airliner flight was allowed to land by the Mumbai Civil Aviation Authority. The plane also started dumping fuel to reduce weight. But later it turned around and announced that the flight would not land in Mumbai due to the company's own policy. Diplomatic sources also said that Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport Authority was ready to provide all possible necessary assistance, including a medical team, to Abu Tahir, a Bangladeshi ailing passenger on board the flight.
Let's look back at some recent events. We noticed what a terrible frenzy took the game of cricket a few months ago! The 'madness of Bangladeshi youth over India's defeat' has been widely publicized using social media. And it has been done in what some have tried to call a 'religious and sacred civic duty'. Due to this, a class became involved in anti-Bangladesh propaganda in India as well. And understandably, the hate mongers have succeeded! However, after a few days of frenzy, they calmed down at some point. But do they really stop? They don't stop. They wait for the creation of opposition issues. And in a very coordinated manner, they spread all this misinformation at lightning speed.
It goes without saying that there is a history of India's total cooperation in the development of independent Bangladesh and the sacrifice of countless soldiers and the endless suffering of its people. We have problems with the country on some issues including common rivers, border killings. Although not desirable, it is present throughout the world with neighboring countries and has many specific perspectives involved. But the way in which both Bangladesh and India have benefited and are benefiting in many ways due to being friendly neighbors, is rarely seen in the world. The example of countries like Myanmar, Pakistan and Afghanistan can be drawn to see how hostile relations with neighbors can bring bad results in the long term.
Our diplomatic relations with Pakistan are also based on this motto of our foreign policy formulated by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman: 'Friendship with all - enmity with none'. We also have an embassy there. But the values that Pakistan holds as a state are vastly different from those of Bangladesh. It goes without saying how desperate it is to expect any sign of Pakistan emerging with a 'humane' character in relation to Bangladesh in the near past or even in the future. The campaign to return any airport in India to the identity of Bangladeshi passengers landing there did not survive in the end. Because the number of citizens of Bangladesh goes to India every day, in many countries for a whole month; even throughout the year that number of citizens does not go. In these two countries, which are friendly in civil communication, we are also seeing talks of lifting the 'visa' in respect of the people's expectations in the future at various government and private levels. What else could be the ridiculous claim of not allowing a flight carrying a passenger after knowing his nationality to be 'Bangladeshi'?
However, if there is any specific incident or scene, surely the Indian authorities will investigate it. And if there is a logical reason, the air traffic authorities of Bangladesh may also not allow a flight to land. But without knowing the full extent of the specific events, it is quite conceivable that this kind of inciting controversy is an attempt to create a rift in friendly diplomatic relations.
