The Supreme Court yesterday stayed a High Court directive that suspended the decision of Biman Bangladesh Airlines to increase the retirement age of its pilots to 62 from 57 years.
A three-member bench of the Appellate Division, headed by Chief Justice ABM Khairul Haque, issued the order following a Biman petition against the HC directive.
Additional Attorney General MK Rahman said according to the SC order, Biman's decision to increase the retirement age of pilots would remain valid until the writ petition is disposed of in the HC.
The Biman board on September 9 this year issued an administrative order enhancing the retirement age of the pilots to 62 from 57 years. Bangladesh Pilots' Association (BAPA) has been pressing for extending the retirement age of pilots to 65 years.
Five BAPA leaders including its acting president Captain Zakir Hussain filed a writ petition with the HC on October 4 challenging the decision.
They sought HC's directive on the national carrier to extend their retirement age to 65 in line with the retirement age of pilots in other countries.
The HC the same day stayed the Biman order for three months and issued a ruling upon the national carrier and the government to explain why they should not be directed to extend pilots' retirement age to 65 years.
The Biman authorities recently filed a petition with the SC against the HC stay order.
The Appellate Division yesterday asked the Biman authorities and the petitioners to take steps for getting the writ petition disposed of in the HC by November 4.
Attorney General Mahbubey Alam and Additional Attorney General MK Rahman appeared for the government and Biman while advocate Abdul Baset Majumder stood for the writ petitioners.