DHAKA: Despite a public limited company, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is facing severe crises remaining in grip of civil-military bureaucrats.
Since its inception as a public limited company, it has been governed by a board of directors with majority of them civil-military bureaucrats.
The Biman came into being from now-defunct corporation on June in 2007 with the government owning all its shares.
Biman is being run by some unprofessional civil-military bureaucrats. Most of the cases in its 40 years history, Biman has been operating by civil-military bureaucrats instead of professional aviation persons.
The company, however, is yet to come out from the grip of the military-civil bureaucracy, sources said.
A competent source said seven out of 11 board members are military-civil bureaucrats.
The source said, “Of them, four persons from former and present military bureaucrats, including its chairman Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed and CEO Air commodore (retd) Zakiul Islam.”
Other members include Molla Waheeduzzaman, Principal secretary, Prime minister’s office, Mohammad Tarek, Senior Secretary, ministry of Finance, Ataharul Islam, secretary, ministry of Civil aviation, Professor Iqbal Ahmad and former FBCCI vice president Abul Kashem, senior lawyer of high court AFM Mesbahuddin and chartered accountant Zakaria Bhuiyan.
An official, wishing anonymity, alleged the government owns the cent percent shares of the airline in spite of having become a company.
Requesting anonymity a General Manager of Biman told banglanews none of civil-military bureaucrats are experienced in aviation sector.
In spite of that, after its inception since 1972, Biman didn’t appoint any civil person as Engineering Director. Moreover, currently two former military officials are working as director.
According to a statistics from Biman, national flag carrier incurred loss Tk 300 crore in last two fiscal years. There are about Tk 600 crore of the Biman.
However, its outlook will be changed once it will start working in full swing, he said.
Though the Biman started from July 1, 2007 under the Company Law, it is uncertain if it will be freed from bureaucrats’ interference to run independently, officials concerned added.
Kazi Wahidul Alam, former board of directors of Biman, told banglanews, “The objective of turning it into a company will go in vain, if Biman board of directors is not formed with professional persons.”
BDST: 2026 HRS, APR 04, 2012
Edited by:
M. Mahbub Alam, Asst Output Editor
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