Biman Bangladesh Airlines recently took the controversial decision to send around 100 officials to Saudi Arabia on a 37-day trip to “supervise” pilgrims during the Hajj season.
The trip is set to cost the national airline around Tk12 crore on accommodations and other facilities. The cost per person is around $220-250.
Biman Managing Director and CEO Shafiul Azim defended the decision on the trip as a reasonable one and stressed that the full cost would be borne by Hajj revenue. However, industry insiders criticized the decision as contradictory to government directives for officials to avoid unnecessary trips abroad due to the ongoing dollar crunch and global economic crisis.
Biman could have used Hajj flights to make some profits if money was not wasted on the supervision trip, sources said.
Last year, Biman generated around Tk440 crore from the Hajj season, according to the Civil Aviation Ministry.
Who are the 100 officials?
On May 7, the Biman chief told this reporter that a team of 25 officers has already been sent to Saudi Arabia, and a further 75 officials will also be sent there soon.
The second team of 75 officials will be led by Biman Deputy Secretary Muhammad Nizam Uddin Ahmed, also general manager of administration and human resources. When asked about his job in Saudi Arabia, he said he would supervise Hajj management and send back any officials who were found to be neglecting their duties.
Concerningly, Muhammad Nizam Uddin Ahmed was the prime accused in the recent Biman recruitment exam question leak incident. In January, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism issued a reminder to the Biman authority to act against the question leak preparators, but the directives are reportedly yet to be implemented.
The other officials on the 75-member second team to be sent to Saudi Arabia are 33 from the customer service directorate, 28 from marketing sales, eight from the engineering and material management directorate, four from IT, and two from the administration and HR department. Some of the officials do not have specifically assigned tasks for the trip.
Asking to remain anonymous, some Biman officials claimed that only those who had currying favour with the high authorities were being taken on the trip.
They also said the Biman offices in Saudi Arabia have sufficient manpower to provide support during the Hajj season.
The Biman authorities said that the team members will do various tasks, including maintaining the flight schedule, helping passengers, ticketing, cleaning aircraft, and wheelchair management.
Biman acting general manager (IT) Anwarul Hoque told Dhaka Tribune: “The list was made by the Administration and HR Directorate, they can say how it was made. IT members of the team will provide support with ticket reservations during the Hajj season.
He denied allegations of favouritism in the selection of members of the team travelling to Saudi Arabia.
Biman Director (Administration and Human Resources) Siddiqur Rahman declined to comment on the matter.
TIB wants to stop financial irregularities
When asked about the supervising trip issue, TIB Executive Director Dr Iftekharuzzaman said: “This is yet another example that gives credence to widespread public perception and endless allegations of abuse of power and institutionalized corruption in this publicly funded white elephant called Biman.
“The decision also speaks volumes about the airline's lack of a minimum sense of responsibility and its arrogant non-compliance with the highest-level calls to exercise frugality in spending public money, especially foreign currency, at a time of financial crisis,” he added.
The TIB executive director further said that a lack of accountability had given perpetrators of corruption in Biman a sense of impunity.
“TIB wants such anarchy to be stopped. The absolutely unjustifiable pleasure trip in the name of serving the pilgrims must be immediately cancelled; and those who are involved, especially those at the high levels in Biman who have planned and approved this, must be brought to exemplary justice,” he said.