JP lawmakers walk out of Sangsad

Opposition Jatiya Party lawmakers and an independent MP staged a brief walkout during the parliamentary session last night protesting government's inaction against the Biman board chairman.

The protest came after five people including three Biman officials were arrested in connection with gold smuggling recently.

Along with the JP MPs, MP Mayeen Uddin Khan Badal from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal, an ally of the ruling alliance, and two independent MPs -- Hazi Selim and Tahjib Alam Siddique -- demanded that the government remove Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed immediately to save the airline.

Tahjib walked out of parliament for two minutes following the JP MPs who returned after a few minutes.  

A heated debate on the Biman boss was initiated by JSD MP Badal. Taking the floor on a point of order, he said various irregularities and corruption, in which Jamal Uddin had been involved, were responsible for Biman's bad shape now.

In the ninth parliament, the parliamentary standing committee on civil aviation formed a sub-committee to look into Biman's corruption and suggest ways to save it. “Headed by me, the sub-committee submitted its report in parliament after intensive work for six months. But the government did not take action against anyone identified by the committee,” Badal lamented.

“Three ministers were changed at the civil aviation ministry in the last several years but Jamal Uddin remained untouched.

“Has he become a super citizen of the country? Why did the sub-committee work so hard if the government would do nothing about our findings?”

Badal also said allegations were raised by different quarters that the Biman board chairman was not capable of running the airline.

He alleged Jamal Uddin had been engaged in different irregularities in leasing aircraft for Biman, route planning and appointing 160 cabin crew.

JP MP Kazi Feroz Rashid said a parliamentary sub-committee had called the Biman boss a thief, for which the national airline was on the verge of a collapse, but the government still did not take any action against him.

Speaking of Polash, who used to identify himself as the “godson” of Biman chairman and led the gold smuggling ring, Feroz said, “Polash's wife was a cabin crew but she travelled in business class in Biman aircraft. How?”

He wanted to know from Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon, who was present in parliament at the time, whether his ministry would remove Jamal Uddin from the Biman board. 

“We will have no other alternative to walking out of parliament if the minister does not promise right now to remove the Biman chairman.”

As Menon maintained silence, JP lawmakers led by Feroz walked out of the House.

Independent MP Tahjib Alam Siddique also criticised Jamal Uddin and later walked out of the House.

Another independent MP Hazi Selim demanded that the civil aviation minister give a statement in parliament explaining all the issues under the rules of procedure of parliament.

Deputy Speaker Fazle Rabbi Mia, who presided over the session, said the minister could not give a statement in response to point of orders.

He advised MPs to submit their complaints in parliament following the due procedure and expressed the hope that the minister would take action in line with the lawmakers' point of order to revamp Biman.