Biman flights on sale!

Middle East-bound Biman flights are on sale. Crew are purchased and they are running these flights. Gold, medicines and foreign currencies stuffed in aircraft are consigned to Bangladesh en route to potential markets. Dishonest staff members and officers of different agencies working in the airport clear the smuggled goods at their ease.
These officials have also been purchased. Huge profits are being pocketed. Dishonest officials of Biman are getting their share of this cake. A syndicate has been constituted by corrupt Biman and airport officials as well as dishonest traders. They have been conducting business of stolen and smuggled goods for years.
Such contrabands have been recovered from some of the flights of Biman. Action has been taken against some crew members. Cases are under trial against some crew members. The Managing Director of Biman was upset to hear about flight sales in scheduling department.
If the automation process is introduced in the scheduling department, there will be no irregularities. This system is likely to be introduced soon.
It is learnt from investigation that Dubai, Jeddah, Riad and Kuwait are the most precious routes. Biman is running their own aircraft on these routes. The corrupt officials of scheduling, operation and training branches are connected with the syndicate regarding sale of flights. They are collecting Tk 1.0 million to 5.0 million for each flight. Thereafter, they allocate duty to cabin crew and cockpit crew. Cabin crew are generally used as carriers of smuggled goods. Most of the cabin crew are temporary. Crew scheduling is not automated. This is done manually. Modern machines worth Tk 200 million have been procured for this purpose. Automation is not introduced as this will break up the syndicate.
Sale of Biman flights is invisible. Crew are sold out. The crew on the Middle East-bound flights are given duty in exchange for big payments. These crew, work for the smugglers. The baggage of the crew at Shahjalal is not checked strictly. Therefore, they can get through easily. No smuggled goods can be taken onto the aircraft without the signal from the crew.
Flight sale takes place after dusk in the scheduling department of the national airliner. Money is shared in the room of a pilot. One representative of the syndicate conducts the whole operation. He has access to the offices of most of the directors. Crew is recruited according to his choice. Duty is allotted according to his demand.
These crews are rich people. They are owners of property both at home and abroad. They are members of smuggling rings. They do not care for rules as they work on daily basis. If someone talks about them, they are charged with many scandals.
As per rules, Biman staff with weight exceeding the limit cannot remain on board. But rules are not applicable to powerful staffers. Some crews are beyond 60 years of age. Many of them have weight over80to100kgs. Because of blessing of the syndicate, the promotion of102junior pursars are held up for ten years. Many have lost their jobs for non-compliance with the syndicate. False cases are filed against those who do not go by the instructions of the syndicate
There are complaints about the scheduling of cockpit crew. Some cabin crew are associated with the syndicate. Among the Biman flights, Jeddah-and Dubai-bound ones are most valuable. Eleven flights operate on these two routes per week. Each flight is sold for Tk 1.0 million to Tk 5.0 million. On average about Tk 50 million is transacted. The smugglers are not only buying flights -- they spend money at all points, including paying hush money to the sweepers.
The biggest hauls of gold were 124kg at Shahjalal and 106kg at Shah Amanat. These consignments were recovered from Bangladesh Biman flight. It would not have been possible without the involvement of Biman and airport officials. There is a strong network connected with smuggling. It is not possible to stop smuggling without state intervention.
Bangladesh is a lucrative route for India for gold smuggling. If 5kg gold is smuggled to India, there will be a profit of Tk 4.0 million. In most of the airports of the world, luggage is checked in the luggage-scanning belt. There is a separate scanning route for passengers. At in Shahjalal, luggage is not scanned in any belt. Biman pilots and crew come and go with nominal checking. Because of this it is not possible to stop smuggling.
On 24th July, gold bars weighing 124kgs were recovered from Bangladesh Biman at Shahjalal by customs intelligence. The value of this gold is Tk 54 million. A committee was constituted by NBR to identify the culprits. A 33-page report was submitted and14 persons were identified to be involved in the smuggling. They are from Biman and officials from other agencies.
Prior to the smuggling of 124-kg gold, another consignment of 105kgs was recovered on 26th April. The enquiry report mentioned that nobody can do it single-handed. Biman's flight service, scheduling, operation and engineering departments are involved with the smuggling racket.
Bangladesh Biman is running at a loss due to corruption, mismanagement and theft. The corrupt officials are making huge sums of money. The government is aware of what is happening in Biman. The finance minister once remarked for closing down this organisation. Mafia type of operation in Biman is not acceptable. Government has to look into the matter seriously. Locating a strategic partner for Biman may be a solution. Such idea was also mooted earlier. We cannot live with Biman in its present precarious state.
The writer is an economist and columnist Email: [email protected]