An official investigation into alleged irregularities regarding the proposed lease of two A330s from Lithuania-based Heston Airlines by Biman Bangladesh Airlines is yet to start even though almost one year has elapsing since the deal collapsed due to public uproar.
Biman and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism in mid-2022 said they were planning to form a probe committee to look into the deal. At the time, State Minister for Civil Aviation Md Mahbub Ali said: “Biman would never take the lease as the airline has the capacity to transport pilgrims during the Hajj season.”
Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim had said that they would look into the matter.
A powerful syndicate led by Biman Director (Corporate Planning and Training) Mahbub Jahan Khan had reportedly been in favour of the agreement with Heston Airlines, even though it threatened to cause Biman loses of around Tk200 crore. The director has denied any involvement in the deal.
“I may kindly say that Director Planning & Training is not empowered to sign an agreement like that. Importantly, no such agreement, even draft agreement, was received by me. More importantly, I have not even asked for such an agreement from the said company,” Khan said in a recent email to Dhaka Tribune.
Biman sources claim Khan brought up the issue of leasing aircraft once again at this year's Hajj meeting, but he denies attending the meeting.
‘No evidence'
During a meeting with Mahbub Jahan Khan at his Biman HQ office on August 4 last year, this reporter asked him if any commission would be taken from Heston Airlines as there was an agreement with them. In response, Khan had said that there was no evidence.
When asked if there had been a verbal agreement with Heston Airlines, Khan smiled and declined to comment.
Khan then abruptly changed the topic, urging this reporter not to publish a report as he was going to resign from Biman and leave the country. He even showed a resignation letter that he had sent to the Biman MD from his personal computer.
When asked why he wanted to resign and leave the country, Khan declined to comment and again urged not to publish a report.
The allegations
Sources from Heston Airlines claimed they had spoken to Mahbub Jahan Khan about the lease deal and reached a verbal agreement.
Only eight board members, including the board chairman and managing director, and three other officials of the corporate planning and training wing of Biman, were present at the meeting when the deal was approved on April 30, 2022, Biman insiders said.
Around 11 airlines had expressed their interest in providing aircraft to carry Hajj pilgrims last year, but Mahbub Jahan Khan lobbied for Heston Airlines.
It is also alleged that Khan submitted a request for a proposal on wet leasing a pair of airbuses under the ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance) system to cover this year's Hajj flights about a month before the board meeting.
The proposal was reportedly rejected due to the lack of a fruitful study and analysis, and since no discussions with others concerned, including the director of flight operations, had been held.
Sources claimed the Khan-led syndicate then sought out a former chief of air staff to persuade former Biman MD and CEO Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal to take the lease deal. Multiple aviation sources and intelligence unit confirmed to Dhaka Tribune that they had seen a former chief of air staff visit the Biman HQ in the last year.
Later, former board director and Finance Ministry official Abdur Rouf Talukder saw the deal attract widespread public criticism. State Minister for Civil Aviation Mahbub Ali eventually stepped in and cancelled it amid claims the deal's promoters disregarded Biman Bangladesh's best financial interests.
The move came following a Dhaka Tribune report that revealed that the national flag carrier was at risk of incurring a loss of about Tk200 crore if it went through with the plan of leasing aircraft.
Wishing anonymity, a top ACC official told Dhaka Tribune that they have received the allegations on the matter, but he declined to provide any more information.