A total of 1,877 staffs took voluntary retirement under a scheme offered by Biman on June 5 before the national flag carrier was made a public limited company.

A total of 100 employees received 70 percent of the pension benefit yesterday, Biman sources said. The remaining amount will be given later in two phases.

But the retired employees alleged that the Biman authorities are paying less than the amount they promised to pay under the Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS).

They also threatened to stage an indefinite hunger strike in front of the Biman's head office if they are not paid as per the VRS payment offer.

Biman officials, however, dismissed the allegations as false.

A total of 2162 officials and employees applied for voluntary retirement after Biman announced the scheme, but the authorities accepted the 1877 applications.

"They (Biman authorities) are paying us less than what they had offered to pay," Mohammad Solaiman, who took voluntary retirement, told The Daily Star yesterday.

"The authorities are depriving us of earned leave benefit as well as festival bonus and medical allowances," said Mazhar Uddin, another retired employee.

However, Biman administration assured the retired employees to pay leave and other benefits with the third installment.

Payment of the provident fund will begin on August 5, said a Biman official.