National flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines' earnings from cargo operations on the London-Dhaka route have been on the wane over the past several years due to inapt decisions by authorities and inefficiencies of cargo agents, it has been alleged.
Biman's earnings from cargo operations on the London-Dhaka route were highest at Tk 474.43 million in fiscal year (FY) 2018-19.
The figure dropped by 40.71 per cent to Tk 281.85 million in FY 2019-20 and fell further by 79.86 per cent year-on-year to only Tk 59.30 million in FY 2020-21, according to official data.
Although earnings rose moderately to Tk 112.88 million in FY 2021-22, revenue declined again to Tk 89.50 million in FY 2022-23.
Revenue fell further to Tk 65.45 million in FY 2023-24 and to Tk 28.30 million in FY 2024-25, a senior Biman official told The Financial Express on Tuesday.
Revenue from cargo operations on the London-Dhaka route began declining from August 2020, when Biman authorities appointed more than two dozen new cargo sales agents to boost earnings, a senior official from the airline's cargo division said.
"The inefficiencies of the new cargo sales agents prompted clients to bypass Biman and ship their cargo to Dhaka through foreign airlines despite higher costs," he said.
A cargo handling facility built by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) in Sylhet at a cost of around Tk 1.25 billion has also remained largely idle due to a sharp fall in incoming cargo from London and other European countries, the official added.
Biman authorities later carried out an investigation into the steep decline in revenue from cargo operations on the London-Dhaka route.
The probe identified administrative arbitrariness, a conspiracy by a vested group, and interference by a powerful presidium member of the then ruling Awami League in the recruitment of new cargo sales agents as key reasons behind the revenue drop following the removal of British-Bangladeshi company JMG Cargo & Travels Ltd, which had served as Biman's sole cargo sales agent.
After JMG's removal, cargo volumes from London declined significantly, according to minutes of a meeting held to determine the causes of the fall in earnings.
Contacted, JMG's Managing Director Monir Ahmed said, "We worked tirelessly to deliver Biman's services to expatriates. After our removal, they were forced to use foreign airlines, harming Bangladesh's economy."
Sources said Biman's cargo business on the London-Dhaka route has not only cost Bangladesh hundreds of millions of taka in revenue but also deprived the British-Bangladeshi community of a trusted service, damaging expatriate confidence.
Many clients, who prefer to travel along with their cargo, are now refraining from flying with the national flag carrier from London, contributing to a decline in Dhaka-bound passengers, Biman officials said.
azizjst@yahoo.com
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