GLITCH IN PM FLIGHT
Six Biman officials suspended
UNB
Six officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines were suspended yesterday for their negligence of duty in the flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to Budapest, Hungary, UNB reports.
As part of the department punishment, the six Biman officials were suspended following the preliminary report of a probe committee formed by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told reporters at the secretariat.
The suspended Biman men are engineer officers SM Rokonuzzaman (P-35597), Samiul Haque (P-35576), Lutfor Rahman (P-35577), Milon Chandra Biswas (P-35586) and Zakir Hossain (P-35622), and technical Saddiqur Rahman (P-35848), of Bimans Directorate of Engineering.
They will get maximumpunishment once the probe bodys complete report is available, the minister said adding that the complete report will be submitted soon.
The preliminary report of the four-member committee, led by Chief of Technical Captain Fazal Mahmud Chowdhury, was submitted to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry yesterday, a day before the deadline set for it.
The Biman flight, carrying the Prime Minister, had to make an emergency landing at Ashgabat International Airport in Turkmenistan on her way to Budapest on Sunday following low oil pressure to its engine. Following its necessary repair work, the flight left Ashgabat Airport after a delay of over four hours.
About the technical glitch, the minister said Bimans crew noticed the low oil pressure to its engine immediate after they crossed Lahore and informed the authorities concerned about it. And the authorities suggested them to make an emergency landing at the nearest airport.
Asked about the reason behind the low oil pressure, he said it happened as the oil pipe nut got loose.
On Monday, three probe committees were formed over the glitch in the flight carrying the Prime Minister. Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry formed the committees.
About the two other probe bodies,
Menon said the committee formed by the ministry will place its report within the fixed seven working days, while the committee formed by CAAB within the stipulated 15 working days.
