Several Biman Bangladesh Airlines officials who were implicated in question paper leaks during the organization's recruitment exam last year are still holding positions on its exam committee.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, Biman and Detective Branch (DB) of Dhaka Metropolitan Police (DMP) formed three separate probe committees over last year's question paper leak. The probe committees found the involvement of 41 Biman officials in irregularities during the exam.
The exam last year was for the recruitment of 100 cabin crew, commercial assistants, and accounts assistants. The exams were postponed due to the question leaks.
According to the probe reports of the Civil Aviation Ministry and Biman committees, former Biman CEO Zahid Hossain supervised the entire recruitment exam process, which was plagued with irregularities such as missing exam committee meeting minutes and improper handling of the USB drive that contained the exam question papers.
Zahid Hossain has denied involvement in any irregularities.
The probe committees recommended action against the officials involved in the irregularities, and that the 41 officials who were questioned over the question leaks not be included on future exam committees so as to ensure that subsequent recruitment exams are not clouded by suspicion.
Former Biman managing director and CEO Zahid Hossain and former deputy general manager of security Major Taiz Ibna Anawar were withdrawn by the Aviation Ministry and the Ministry of Public Administration based on these probe reports. However, several of the other officials have again been co-opted into the exam committee rather than face stringent action, according to Biman insiders.
The other officials were Deputy Secretary Muhammad Nizam Uddin Ahmed (GM, Administration and Human Resources), BATC Principal ABM Nazmul Huda, Chief engineer (production) ARM Kaiser Zaman, DGM Human Resources (Add'l Charge) Samsuddoha Akhand (also manager, recruitment and staffing), and Asst. Manager (Administration) Tofazzal Hossain.
Biman employees Zahid Hossain, Harun-ur-Rashid, zakirul Islam, Mohsin Ali, Nazrul Islam, Sajjadul Islam, Kotubul Alam, Abdullah Sheikh, Golam Rabbai, Mizanur Rahman, Enamul Haque, Firoz Alam, Sultan Hossain, Abdul Bari, Ripon Khan, Tarjul Islam, Arifur Rahman and Mahbub Alam Sharif, Masum, Al Amin, Abdul malke, Hnif Mia, Alamgir Hossain, Jahangir Hossain, Masud Ali and Mizanur Rahman, Saiful Islam, cleaner Tapos Kumar, Muhammad Mahfuzul Alam Bhuiya, Samaju alias Subhan, Aulad Hossain, Masud, and Mahbub Ali were also named in the probe report.
A recruitment test for the post of traffic assistants is scheduled for March 25.
In January, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism had issued a reminder that officials suspected of involvement in question leaks should not be involved in any kind of recruitment test procedures.
When contacted, Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim told Dhaka Tribune: “The matter is hanging in the court.”
Terming the Biman chief's statement as misinterpretation, two top aviation ministry officials said it is not a matter for the court at all when three probe committees found the culprits who were behind the question paper leak scam. Company Secretary (Additional Charge) Rashed Meher Chowdhury and two other officials advised Biman on legal and court affairs, and he was one of the Biman probe committee members.
Wishing anonymity, officials said: “A case was filed by the DB that is now hanging in the court. They will advise Biman on the course of action subject to the final report of the court.”
However, the airline's administrative investigator could not say why action has not yet been taken on two other internal investigation reports over the question paper leaks.
Biman Manager (Administration, Investigation-1) Kamal Hossain said they haven't received any letter on what action to take yet.
The current Biman recruitment committee head, Joint Secretary Siddiqur Rahman, acknowledged that those who were involved in leaking question papers have been co-opted to the administrative work related to the examination.
"The officials were not involved in making and editing the question paper," he added.
He then told this reporter that he was not authorized to make an official statement on why action had not been taken, and advised him to contact the Biman MD on the matter.
Last year, State Minister of Aviation Mahbub Ali had said strict action would be taken against those involved in the question leak in the Biman recruitment test. He did not make any subsequent statements.
41 involved in the question leak scam
The Civil Aviation ministry formed a committee led by additional secretary Mohidul Islam, while Biman formed another committee led by Deputy Secretary Naoshad Hossain to carry out an investigation over the question paper leak incident.
Both reports were reviewed at the Aviation Ministry in late January at a meeting chaired by Aviation Secretary Mokammel Hossain.
The reports found that on October 19, 2022, at two o'clock in the afternoon, the question paper preparation committee members sat in a meeting to review the question paper in the room of former CEO Zahid Hossain.
However, the probe committee did not find the minutes of the meeting or any other records.
A printout of the question paper reportedly was given to Major Taiz for final review during the meeting.
MD Zahid Hossain supervised the whole matter till the exam day, the reports said.
Before the meeting, Biman held more meetings on the test exam. But it did not issue any letter on inviting ministry officials, said the reports.
In a written statement, Biman CEO Zahid Hossain had denied his involvement in any scam, said Deputy Secretary Muhammad Nizam Uddin Ahmed (GM, Administration and Human Resources).
Major Taiz Ibna Anawar, BATC Principal ABM Nazmul Huda and Chief Engineer (production) ARM Kaiser Zaman were given the responsibility of reviewing the exam paper as the admin post was vacant.
They submitted all test question papers on November 10 and kept copies in a pen drive, and another copy was kept under the BATC principal laptop for editing and revision.
The pen drive was always kept by Deputy Secretary Muhammad Nizam Uddin Ahmed.
Asst. Manager-Administration Tofazzal Hossain and Manager, Recruitment and Staffing Samsuddoha Akhand were also members of the exam committee.
Both probe committees took written and verbal statements from 41 Biman officers and employees involved in the scam.
Among them, 10 employees were arrested by DB for their involvement in leaking the question paper. Three of them later secured bail.
According to the reports, the question paper leak was planned and supervised by former MD Zahid Hossain. The others assisted for financial gain.
A similar situation was found in the DB investigation. A top official from DB said they were also involved in irregularities in a previous recruitment test.
They were under the scanner and some intelligence units were working on the matter, he added.
Later, a section of these intelligence agencies found evidence which it handed over to the DB. The DB then raided the exam center on the exam day and arrested some Biman officials.