Dubious Covid-19 Certificate: Shajahan Khan’s daughter barred from boarding London flight

Oaishe Khan, daughter of former shipping minister and Awami League presidium member Shajahan Khan, was barred from going to London at Dhaka airport yesterday, after she was found Covid-19 positive upon cross-checking her certificate.

Since July 23, international passengers are required to submit a Covid-19 negative certificate at the airport to be cleared for travelling.

The health desk at the airport came to know that she was Covid-19 positive through online cross-checking of a certificate she provided at the immigration, saying she was Covid-19 negative, officials at the airport said.

Generally, passengers submit their Covid-19 certificate at the airport health desk. Upon checking it, doctors at the desk issue a token certifying the passenger is fit to fly. The passengers then submit the token to the immigration police for clearance.

Dr Jahirul Islam, a physician at the health desk at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport said an official of VIP immigration came to their desk with the passport of Oaishe Khan and her token which had a doctor's signature that did not match with anyone at the airport health desk.

He said they then cross-checked the token online and found she is Covid-19 positive.Following the development, immigration police barred her from leaving the country by the Biman Bangladesh Airlines flight at 11am for London.

A police official at the airport confirmed the incident. He however said officially the cause is mentioned that Oaishe Khan failed to show Covid-19 negative certificate.

WE RECEIVED NEGATIVE CERTIFICATE: SHAJAHAN KHAN

Contacted about it last night, Shajahan Khan told this newspaper that his daughter gave samples for testing at the government testing centre in Mohakhali's DNCC isolation centre on July 24. They received a message the next day saying Oaishe was Covid-19 negative, he said.

When the family contacted the certificate-issuing authority -- National Institute of Laboratory Medicine and Reference Centre -- yesterday after returning from the airport, they were given another certificate which says she is Covid-19 positive, he added.