A bomb threat delayed a Bangladesh Biman flight for around six and a half hours yesterday at the Ikllii airport.

An intensive search by an anti-bomb squad however, did not find any bomb or explosives on board the DC-10 aircraft.

The plane which landed early in the morning at the Delhi airport readied Dliaka with all its passengers at 1.55 pm.

The captain of the flight — BG 012 — was instructed by the Delhi airport control tower to taxi the plane into a special area and disembark all the passengers after it landed on its scheduled stop, according to sources.

The fliglit from New York was on iR w'ay to Dhaka via Amsterdam. Dubai and Delhi. The Delhi control tower told the pilot that it had been alerted by Dubai authorities that a bomb had been planted in the aircraft. It could not be ascertained immediately who gave the threat or how it was conveyed.Tlx- pilot was informed about the threat only after the plane had made its normal landing at Delhi airport.

fhe passengers were then off loaded, the luggage were taken out and the aircraft was thoroughly searched. sources said.

A Biman official confirmed the incident and regretted the inconve ■lienee caused to passengers.