Bangkok-bound Biman Flight Returns to Dhaka Following Mechanical Malfunction

Khabor Wala Desk

Published: 7th August 2025, 12:25 PM

Bangkok-bound Biman Flight Returns to Dhaka Following Mechanical Malfunction

Photo: Collected

A Bangkok-bound flight operated by Biman Bangladesh Airlines was forced to return to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Dhaka, roughly an hour after takeoff due to a mechanical fault. The aircraft was carrying 146 passengers, according to Biman authorities.

Flight Overview

Flight No.	Route	Scheduled Departure	Aircraft Model	Registration	Passenger Capacity	Actual Passengers
BG-388	Dhaka → Bangkok	6 August, 12:06 PM	Boeing 737-800	S2-AFL	170	146

Incident Summary

Takeoff Time: 12:06 PM on Wednesday, 6 August
Fault Detected: While in Myanmar’s airspace, the pilot noticed abnormal engine vibrations shortly after takeoff.
Return Decision: The captain, prioritising passenger safety, decided to return to Dhaka.
Landing Time: The flight landed safely at 1:21 PM at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

Official Statement

Al Masud Khan, Manager of Public Relations at Biman Bangladesh Airlines, confirmed to journalists:

“The Bangkok-bound flight returned to Dhaka after flying for approximately one hour. The engineering department will conduct a thorough investigation to determine the cause of the issue.”

Passenger Re-accommodation

To minimise inconvenience, the 146 affected passengers were rebooked on an alternative flight. They departed for Bangkok at 6:02 PM the same evening aboard a Boeing 777 aircraft.

Original Flight	Return Time	Replacement Flight Aircraft	New Departure Time
BG-388 (B737-800)	1:21 PM	Boeing 777	6:02 PM

Previous Similar Incident

This is not the first such occurrence in recent weeks. On 28 July, Biman’s BG-349 flight, en route from Dhaka to Dammam, Saudi Arabia, faced a similar technical anomaly:

Aircraft: Boeing 777-ER
Takeoff: 3:33 PM
Returned: After flying for an hour, the aircraft safely landed back in Dhaka at 4:33 PM.

These repeated incidents have raised concerns regarding aircraft maintenance and in-flight safety protocols. Biman’s engineering unit is reportedly reviewing all technical logs and inspection procedures to prevent future occurrences.