Friday began on a tense note in Dhaka as thick fog blended with heavy smog, leaving the city almost frozen in place. Visibility dropped to worrying levels, and the impact was felt most sharply in the skies. With conditions turning unsafe for landing, at least six international flights were forced to divert mid-journey. As pilots looked for a secure alternative, Kolkata once again played a quiet but crucial role. At a moment when Dhaka could not receive its flights, the neighbouring city stepped forward, offering a safe route and reminding the region how closely connected its crisis moments often are.
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Aircraft lost their way in the smog
From Friday dawn, the situation at Dhaka's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport went beyond control. Dense fog and smog brought visibility to rock bottom. According to Dhaka airport sources, flight operations began to be disrupted from 1 AM.
One Kuwait Airways flight, two Jazeera Airways flights, and one Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight failed to land despite circling in the sky. With no alternative, five international flights headed straight to Indian airspace and safely landed at Kolkata airport. Around 3:30 AM, another Bangladesh Airlines aircraft from Dammam, Saudi Arabia bound for Dhaka was also forced to land in Kolkata.
Meanwhile, flights from Dubai, Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Sharjah, and Muscat reached Dhaka's sky on time but were delayed in landing by approximately 2 to 4 hours each.
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Dhaka faces hazardous air, ranks behind Delhi!
Why this situation? The Air Quality Index or AQI provides the answer. At 9:55 AM on Friday, Dhaka's air quality index was 260! This is classified as 'very unhealthy' or 'hazardous'. In the list of the world's polluted cities, Dhaka's position on Friday was right after Delhi. This toxic blanket of air had virtually blinded Dhaka's sky.
Osman Hadi's Death and Climate of Fear
Political instability is keeping pace with nature's fury. Fresh tensions have spread across Bangladesh, centred around Osman Hadi's death. Allegations of minority persecution are raising their head again. Fear is taking root in ordinary people's minds. On one side, the 'fire' of communal and political conflict, and on the other, the 'poison' in the air, caught between these two, Dhaka is now literally in a suffocating situation.
From political analysts to environmentalists, all agree that Bangladesh is going through a difficult time. Where both sky and air are now hostile.
