A parliamentary body has recommended that Biman Bangladesh Airline cuts its manpower to a reasonable level in order to make the national flag carrier a profitable venture within a short time.
After going through a 2008-09 audit report by the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General, the Public Accounts Committee of parliament said Biman needs to trim its manpower within three months.
Sources said Biman lost around Tk50 crore in 2008-09 fiscal year because of its oversized staff numbers.
“Every carrier at an international level makes a profit but Biman cannot do it despite the massive support it enjoys from the government, and the committee has expressed its dissatisfaction,” said Dr Md Rustum Ali Faraji, a committee member.
Talking to the Dhaka Tribune after a committee meeting yesterday, he said: “The committee has recommended that within three months Biman has to calculate a number for their own interest.”
In 2007, the then caretaker government recommended that Biman reduces its manpower from 6,837 to 3,400 employees through a self-retirement scheme. However, Biman did not follow the recommendation for fear of hampering the airline’s day-to-day activities.
The audit report also found that many of the Biman recruits did not even have any education certificates. The committee recommended punishment met to the officers who were responsible for these recruitments.
The Public Accounts Committee also recommended collecting Tk2.21 crore which Biman had lost by paying the insurance premium for aircrafts which did not have engines.
Committee Chairman Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir was present at the meeting, among other members.
