KATHMANDU: Nepali students flying to Bangladesh from Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) have reported a theft of important items, including cash, from their luggage.
Nitya Karki, a Bangladesh-bound Nepali student, reported theft from her luggage, including $800 in cash, while she was on her way to Dhaka via Himalayan Airlines flight number H9678 at 1:45 pm on Tuesday.
President of Nepalese Medical Students Association, Bangladesh, Nabin Yadav said locks on the luggage of other students were also found to be broken.
According to Yadav, students found luggage in damaged condition and items missing upon arrival in Dhaka, where they had to exchange dollars.
The students immediately reported the matter to the local authorities in Nepal. However, they were told that the theft could have been taken at TIA before departure to Dhaka.
After that, the students mobilized their kin in Nepal, who reached the office of Himalayan Airlines demanding to see footage from the closed-circuit cameras installed at TIA. The office denied access to footage, according to Yadav.
“Relatives of students were told the footage had not been downloaded and were returned,” Yadav said, adding, “Such negligence is sheer negligence on part of the airlines.”
Issuing a statement Wednesday, Nepalese Medical Students Association, Bangladesh, has demanded an immediate investigation into the incident and return of stolen items of the victims.
The statement warned, “All Nepali students studying in Bangladesh would boycott Himalayan Airlines if they do not cooperate in the investigation.”
The association has also drawn the attention of the Ministry of Culture, Tourism and Civil Aviation, Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal, and related bodies to the incident.
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