Bangladesh News

Officials and employees of Bangladesh Biman yesterday called an indefinite strike at airports across the country from September 7 to press for urgent measures to make Biman solvent.

“We wrote to all local agencies of international airlines to refrain from using Bangladeshi airports from September 7,” a leader of the Bangladesh Airline Pilots Association (BAPA) said.

He said from that day the Biman officials will not do any ground handling at Zia International Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport, Chittagong and Shah Jalal International Airport, Sylhet.

Ten trade bodies of Bangladesh Biman yesterday integrated themselves into a broader platform styled Biman Sammilito Sangram Parishad (BSSP) to protest the national flag carrier’s ailing financial condition and tarnished image abroad.

Captain SM Helal of BAPA was made convener of the Sangram Parishad launched after a joint protest rally in front of Biman headquarters. Presidents and general secretaries of the other nine trade unions were made members.

“Our only demand to the government is now for immediate allocation of the funds Biman needs to bail itself out of the acute financial crisis,” said another BAPA leader adding that a conspiracy is on to introduce foreign airlines in the country at the expense of Biman.

As part of the agitation, the pilots will not operate any flights along the domestic routes from September 6. Biman flights between the capital and Syedpur, Rajshahi, Barisal and Cox’s Bazar will remain suspended from August 5.

Meanwhile, the civil aviation and tourism ministry has called a meeting for today to resolve the issue. But as of last night, the BSSP was yet to decide whether they would join the talks to be held at the conference room of the ministry.

Another meeting between Finance Minister M Saifur Rahman and State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir today will also discuss the fund crunch at Biman.

Earlier on Saturday, the Pilots Association at a press conference placed a 14-point demand aimed at removing the financial difficulties and ending different irregularities at the state airliner.