A ruling lawmaker yesterday alleged in parliament that the government was not favourable to private aviation entrepreneurs and it even extended undue privileges to losing Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
On point-of-order, lawmaker Moinuddin Khan Badal from Jatiya Samajtantrik Dal (JaSaD) said once it was said that Biman had no modern aircraft but that scenario had changed and yet Biman did not have many passengers.
“Private carriers are the backbone of local communication since Biman has no local flights, but the government does not favour the private carriers,” Badal said.
Earlier in the question-answer session, Menon told parliament that Biman was currently operating 10 aircraft with a total 2,786 manpower, including 106 Bangladeshi and six foreign pilots.
In reply to a scripted question from lawmaker AKM Maidul Islam of Kurigram 3, Menon said: “Of the total manpower, 478 officers are from the administration pay group and 223 from the technical pay group, and 1,971 are ground staff and workers.” He informed the House that the 10 aircraft were four Boeing 777-300 ER, two Boeing 777-200 ER, Airbus A310-300 and Boeing 737-800 each.
Replying to treasury bench member M Abdul Latif from Chittagong 11 constituency, Menon said Biman was now operating flights from 18 stations outside the country.
The minister, responding to a question from Rajshahi 4 lawmaker Enamul Haque, said the government had a plan to conduct flights on Rajshahi route and arrangement for two planes was already under process. Responding to a question from ruling party lawmaker Israfil Alam of Naogaon 6, Menon said there were two state-run five-star hotels – Ruposhi Bangla and Pan Pacific Sonargaon – while six private ones – four in Dhaka and two in Cox’s Bazar.