I wonder if they made any money on that (pretty awesome)final gig
I doubt they made, nor intended to make, any money from the DC10 farewell tour. It would have been designed as a goodwill /
PR exercise, aimed at raising the profile of Biman ahead of the new Transatlantic operation, via BHX. On that level, I would say it was very successful.
It seams to me as though the Bangladeshi politicians thought that what they wanted was western professional airline management to turn around their ailing airline, but soon realised that the consequence of appointing professional business people was that they would make professional business decisions (almost undoubtedly including job losses), which often don't fit comfortably with politicians.
Result - the politicians wanted their "train set" back, Steele wasn't prepared to give, so he got a "letter from his mum" and is leaving on health grounds - and probably to "spend more time with his family".
Turning to the BHX / JFK service, and it's future, or otherwise, I would surmise the politicians would dearly like their airline to be present in the USA, so the service may not be doomed - whether however they find a way of operating it across London rather than BHX may be another matter