Civil Aviation State Minister Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin earlier directed to drag the aircraft 150 feet away from the runway for resuming international flights, but the officials and engineers concerned yesterday decided to bring the aircraft onto the tarmac first by using airbags and specially-built trolleys and then take it to the hanger.

It would not be possible to drag the aircraft 150 feet away from the runway, and later the state minister also agreed with the decision to bring the aircraft to the hanger, Airport Manager squadron leader Shahin Farhad said.

"We think we can say something about it tomorrow [Wednesday] only after monitoring today's progress of salvation work," said a ground engineer seeking anonymity yesterday afternoon.

Bangladesh Biman's BG-048 flight from Dubai with 215 passengers on board skidded off the runway after it was forced to make a belly-landing "due to technical faults" on Friday morning.

Bangladesh Army yesterday brought three 90-tonne trolleys, two breakdown vehicles and one armoured recovery vehicle to the airport to speed up the salvation work.

"We are now filling earth and constructing four makeshift brick-roads. After completion of this work, we will try to lift the aircraft by airbags and then place the trolleys beneath it to bring the aircraft onto the runway and finally take the aircraft to the hanger," commanding officer of 200-member army rescue team Col Masud told journalists.

Meanwhile, Biman officials are yet to give any decision about two flights each with 221 passengers scheduled for Abu Dhabi and Muscat at 8:45pm and 10:45pm today. "The final decision in this regard depends on the progress of salvation work," Biman's district manager Ahmed Hossain told this correspondent over phone yesterday evening.

On Monday afternoon the civil aviation state minister expressed optimism about reopening the airport for international flights by today.