Dhaka airport launches 24-hour immigration hotline

Immigration authorities at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) have launched a 24-hour hotline to answer passengers’ queries on travel restrictions, passport validity and other immigration-related issues.

The hotline -- 01320007588 -- began operating on August 19, a senior official of the immigration department of the Special Branch confirmed to The Daily Star.

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The initiative aims to reduce passenger hassles and provide direct access to updated immigration information.

“We have assigned officers who will answer any immigration-related queries from passengers round the clock,” the official said, requesting anonymity.

For now, stickers displaying the hotline number have been placed in the airport’s immigration area. A wider campaign is planned to raise awareness of the service.

Officials said the hotline is currently receiving only one or two calls. Passengers often approach immigration officers with questions such as whether they can travel with passports valid for only four months, or whether any case or restriction might prevent them from leaving the country.

Queries also come from overseas, with travellers seeking confirmation on whether they would face problems entering or returning to Bangladesh. Some passengers even contact the hotline about lost luggage, while others request immigration officers to stop someone from leaving the country.

Officials clarified that a telephone request alone is not enough to prevent a traveller from boarding a flight. “In such cases, we actually have nothing to do unless a court order is given to us,” another official said.