Bangladesh starts search for missing Malaysian jet

Bangladesh Navy has started its search in the Bay of Bengal for Malaysian Airlines’ plane, which mysteriously disappeared with 239 passengers on board on Mar 8.

Two maritime patrol aircraft and as many frigates - BNS Umar Farooq and Bangabandhu - were engaged in the search with state-of-the-art telescopes on Saturday morning, said an ISPR statement.

The search will initially cover the Bay of Bengal and its adjoining areas and then it may be expanded if needed, said the statement.

Earlier on Friday, Bangladesh decided on joining the search of the missing plane following Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s order.

Until Friday, 13 countries with over 50 ships and around as many aircrafts had been involved in the search, but they failed to trace the missing plane.

India, meanwhile, joined the search on Friday as reports surfaced that the missing plane had crashed either in the Bay of Bengal or elsewhere in the Indian Ocean.

The flight, MH370, bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur, had gone missing an hour after it took off.

Malaysian authorities say the plane might have been turned around deliberately and then it headed west, flying over the Malay Peninsula and moved into the Andaman Sea and then towards the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.