Make Biman a profitable entity

Prime Minister (PM) Sheikh Hasina reiterated her call to the officials and employees of Bangladesh Biman to make the national flag carrier as a

profitable organisation by improving the quality of its services, saying that no organisation could survive by incurring loss, reports BSS.

"Bangladesh Biman is not only a service-providing organisation, it is also a commercial organisation. Once Biman went to a stage of closure. But the situation has been changed. You know better what will happen in your fate, if the organisation is closed.. you will definitely lose your job," she said.

"So, keeping this in mind, you will have to work sincerely and continue to provide services properly to turn Bangladesh Biman into a profitable organisation," she added.

The PM said this on Thursday while addressing a function on the occasion of induction of the fourth Boeing 777-300ER aircraft (Raanga Pravat) in Biman at the VVIP Lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

At the same function, one Boeing 777-200ER aircraft which was taken lease from the Egypt Air was commissioned to Biman.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon, Secretary of the Ministry Khushid Alam Chowdhury, Chairman, Board of Directors of Biman Bangladesh Airlines Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed, US Charge d' Affaires to Bangladesh Jon Danilowicz and Managing Director of Bangladesh Biman Kevin Steele also spoke on the occasion.

The PM said overall development of Biman is not possible only through infrastructure uplift or induction of new aircraft. "In this case, able stewardship, work efficiency and sincerity of those who are working here are needed first," she said.

In this connection, she stressed the need for increasing the quality of services and strengthening security at the airports by gearing up the activities of the intelligence agencies and providing training for the airport police so that Biman and airports do not experience bad reputation.

About the seizure of the golds at the airports, she said: "The recovery of golds at the airports does not mean that smuggling is increased. Rather golds are being seized at the airports as their security has been beefed up. However, we will have to remove this bad name completely."

Sheikh Hasina also put emphasis on introduction of separate cargo system of Biman to make it profitable.

The PM said a tunnel with modern facilities would be constructed between airport railway station and Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport so that the passengers from across the country could enter the airport easily.

She said her government has taken initiatives to make the national flag carrier as a time-befitting organisation. "Infrastructural development of the airport is being made side by side with addition of new aircraft," she said.

Sheikh Hasina mentioned that two deals were signed between Biman and Boeing, one of the world's leading aerospace company, in 2008 for purchasing 10 new aircraft for modernisation of the fleet of the national flag carrier. "After assuming office in 2009, we took initiatives for procuring the aircraft in the fastest possible time," she said.

As per the agreements, she said, the US-based Boeing Company has so far handed over four 777-300ER aircraft to Biman. "Two more 737-800 aircraft would be handed over by November and December 2015 and pre-delivery payment for the two aircraft has already been made," she added.

UNB adds: A smiling PM mentioned that she had told the Finance Minister that the seizures of gold bars at airports would boost the foreign reserve of the country.

Citing various steps of the Awami League government for improving the standard of Biman alongside the airports in the country, Hasina said that after assuming office in 1996, her government had raised the airports in Sylhet and Chittagong to international standard.