Legal notice asks govt to investigate

A Supreme Court lawyer yesterday served a legal notice asking the government to probe "irregularities" in pilot recruitment and flight operations by Biman Bangladesh Airlines through an independent committee.

Md Tanvir Ahmed sent the notice, asking the authorities concerned to form the committee in five days and inform him about it within seven days.

He sent the notice to the secretary at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, the chairman of the civil aviation authority, the managing director and chief executive officer of Biman Bangladesh and its director (administration) and director (flight operations).

In the notice, the lawyer said he would take appropriate legal action against them if they do not form the committee to investigate the irregularities.

He sent the legal notice following two separate reports published in The Daily Star on March 1 -- which was updated on March 13 with the title "Biman paying for hiring unqualified Boeing 777 pilots" -- and also on March 2 with the title "Life lost amid irregularities".