To add to the woes:
Pilots’ demand to resolve financial crisis : Biman's domestic flights to stop operation from Sept 6
Sun, 3 Sep 2006, 11:24:00
Officials and employees of Biman Bangladesh Airlines will refrain from operating and ground handling of all domestic flights except Chittagong and Sylhet ones from Tuesday to press home their demands, including regular payment of salaries and allowances.
The routes which will remain suspended from Tuesday include Syedpur, Rajshahi, Barisal and Cox's Bazar.
Besides, they will abstain from operating and ground handling of all domestic flights, including Chittagong and Sylhet from Wednesday.
Biman is responsible for ground handling of all airlines at all the airports in Bangladesh.
The officials and employees of the national flag carrier will also stop ground handling operations of all local and foreign airlines from Thursday if their demands are not met by that time.
These decisions were taken at a meeting of the Sanmilita Sangram Parishad, a newly formed body, representing ten unions and associations of Biman, held at the office of Flight Engineers and Navigators Association (FENA) yesterday evening.
Leaders of Bangladesh Airlines Pilots' Association, Biman Employees Union, Bangladesh Biman Sramik Union, Jatiyatabadi Sramik Dal, Biman Sramik League, Bangladesh Biman Flying Service Association of Cabin Crew, Biman Unit of Bangladesh Muktijoddha Sangsad, Flight Engineers and Navigators Association, Bangladesh Biman Officers' Association and Society of Aircraft Engineers of Bangladesh attended the meeting.
Captain SM Helal, President of Bangladesh Airlines Pilots' Association (BAPA), has been elected the convenor of the newly formed Sanmilita Sangram Parishad.
Managing Director MA Momen admitted that liquidity problem had caused a serious crisis in Biman and said he was aware of the pilots' demands.
"We have urged the government to take necessary steps," Momen said but gave no details.
For the last two months, payment of salary for all staff has been irregular, and employees such as pilots have not been paid their allowances.
Sate Minister for Civil Aviation Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir could not be reached for comment.
Leaders of Pilot Association (BAPA) told reporters that they were also trying to salvage the sinking national flag carrier that had been losing money because of too many non-profitable routes.
"Biman has almost collapsed because of corruption, irregularities and mismanagement," said BAPA general secretary Captain Mahbubur Rahman.
The BAPA leaders said that they would stop flying aircraft from Tuesday, except the planes to and from Chittagong and Sylhet. There would be no pilots available for flights to and from Syedpur, Rajshahi and Barisal.
The pilots said they believed flights on non-profitable routes such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, and Yangon should be stopped. They said they would not work on such flights from Thursday.
They also threatened to stop ground handling of all national and international airlines from Thursday. Biman is responsible for ground handling of all airlines at all airports in Bangladesh.
BAPA President Captain SM Helal said the government should continue to subsidise its operation. He claimed nine other Biman unions and associations backed the pilots' plans.
Capt Rahman said some people with access to the corridors of power were trying to create a crisis so that they could launch their own private business.
He showed newspaper advertisements of the London-based "United Air", which he said was getting prepared to launch international flights from Bangladesh.
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