Biman makes profit for two yrs in a row
Files case against 9 staff over glitch in PM's flight
National carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines made a profit of Tk 276 crore in the last fiscal year.
This was disclosed at the Biman's Annual General Meeting at its headquarters in the city last night.
Biman officials said the profit would have been even bigger had the airline not faced a ban on direct air cargo from Bangladesh to the UK. The company incurred a loss of around Tk 70 crore due to the ban.
The airline has been making a profit for two consecutive years after suffering huge loss for several years in a row.
Meanwhile, the Biman authorities last night filed a case against its nine staff over a technical glitch in the prime minister's flight that forced it to make an emergency landing in Hungary last month.
In the fiscal year 2014-15, Biman fetched Tk 324 crore as profit. It incurred a loss of Tk 1,435.63 crore between 2009-10 and 2013-14 fiscal years.
Talking to The Daily Star, Biman Managing Director AM Mosaddique Ahmed said the company could make the profit as it implemented major cost-cutting measures and the jet fuel prices dipped in the international market.
The UK government on March 8 had imposed the indefinite ban on cargo flights as Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport failed to comply with some international security requirements.
Twenty-five tonnes of cargo -- mostly apparels, vegetables and agricultural products -- used to be flown to the UK on average in each Biman cargo flight. The company operates four direct passenger flights on Dhaka-London route a week.
Biman's General Manager (public relations) Shakil Meraj said the airline carried some 23 lakh passengers and 40,991 tonnes of cargo in the last fiscal year (2015-16).
Earlier in the day, Biman board of directors Chairman Air Marshal (retd) Muhammad Enamul Bari had a meeting with visiting UK Prime Minister's Trade Envoy for Bangladesh Rushanara Ali MP at the company's Motijheel office and requested her to lift the cargo ban as Bangladesh fulfilled all security requirements.
CASE FILED AGAINST NINE
The Biman authorities filed the case with Airport Police Station against its nine staff, said Noor-e-Azam, officer-in-charge of Airport Police Station.
The nine were charged with neglecting duties and sabotage. Wing Commander (retd) MM Asaduzzaman, director (maintenance and engineering) of Biman, filed the case, the OC told The Daily Star early today.
The accused are Debesh Chowdhury, chief engineer (production); SA Siddique, chief engineer (quality assurance); Billal Hossain, principal engineer; engineers SM Rokonuzaman, Samiul Haque, Lutfor Rahman, Milon Chandra Biswas and Zakir Hossain and technician Siddiqur Rahman.
The VVIP flight carrying Sheikh Hasina made the emergency landing on November 27.
Biman had suspended the nine in two phases on November 30 and December 14.