‘IRREGULARITIES’ IN BIMAN APPOINTMENT

32 Biman cadet pilots likely to lose jobs

Sacked Biman MD Mosaddek had made several changes to job circular and exam process to appoint his nephew, finds internal probe

The appointment of 32 cadet pilots of the state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines could be cancelled as the process by which they were appointed is ‘questionable’, said sources in the civil aviation and tourism ministry. Mohibul Hoque, secretary of the ministry, told The Independent on Wednesday: “The pilot appointment issue could be discussed in a board meeting slated for September 3. The agenda has not yet been finalised”. Sources said the Biman board had formed a sub-committee, headed by Barrister Tanjib Ul Alam, who is also a member of the Biman Board.

The committee investigated the appointment of 32 cadet pilots a few months back and recently submitted its report with some recommendations, the sources added saying that the report could be placed at the board meeting tomorrow (Sept 3).

“As the head of the committee, I cannot make any comment on this issue. Even I can't tell you whether the report is being submitted or not,” Tanjib told The Independent on Thursday. “We will follow the recommendations of the sub-committee,” Mohibul Hoque said.

In March–April this year, a committee was formed by the civil aviation ministry to investigate the appointment of the 32 cadet pilots. It found irregularities in the appointment process. Later, it sent the report to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for proper action.  The ACC is investigating into the matter. The civil aviation ministry report states

 

that former Biman managing director and CEO Mosaddek Hossain, who was sacked in May this year before the completion of his tenure, was allegedly involved in the corruption.

The report found that to appoint a favoured one, who happened to be Mosaddek’s nephew, several changes were made in the job circular, as well as in the exam process, the sources said. “According to the first advertisement for appointment of the cadet pilots, 32 applicants were supposed to be unfit for the written test. But after the second advertisement (corrected), the 32 candidates became eligible for the written test. This was gross violation of the established procedure for appointments,” said a ministry official.

Even though a number of applicants were not eligible and fared badly in the exam, they were given pass marks so that the nephew of Mosaddek could get a chance, sources in the aviation ministry said.

Even the exam structure, which earlier contained 70 per cent marks for the written test and 30 per cent marks for viva-voce, was changed to 50-50 written and oral test so that a larger chunk of marks could be given in the latter one.

Mosaddek, at a press briefing in February this year, tried to defend the controversial exam and told journalists that it was conducted in a transparent manner. He said 76 applicants passed in the written exam, out of which appointments were given to 32 after the oral exam.

The sub-committee, however, found that the final list, which contained the names of the 32 cadet pilots, did not have the signature of the head of the selection committee.

In the last week of July, the ACC had questioned Biman general manager (admin) Bushra Islam, director (store and logistics support) Mominul Islam, former director (admin) Partha Kumar Pandit, director (engineering) Sajjadur Rahim, director (planning) Air Commodore Mahbub Jaman Khan, director (finance) Binit Sud and former director of finance Ashraful Alam.

 

IRREGULARITIES IN BIMAN APPOINTMENT

32 Biman cadet pilots likely to lose jobs

Sacked Biman MD Mosaddek had made several changes to job circular and exam process to appoint his nephew, finds internal probe

The appointment of 32 cadet pilots of the state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines could be cancelled as the process by which they were appointed is questionable, said sources in the civil aviation and tourism ministry. Mohibul Hoque, secretary of the ministry, told The Independent on Wednesday: The pilot appointment issue could be discussed in a board meeting slated for September 3. The agenda has not yet been finalised. Sources said the Biman board had formed a sub-committee, headed by Barrister Tanjib Ul Alam, who is also a member of the Biman Board. The committee investigated the appointment of 32 cadet pilots a few months back and recently submitted its report with some recommendations, the sources added saying that the report could be placed at the board meeting tomorrow (Sept 3). As the head of the committee, I cannot make any comment on this issue. Even I cant tell you whether the report is being submitted or not, Tanjib told The Independent on Thursday. We will follow the recommendations of the sub-committee, Mohibul Hoque said. In MarchApril this year, a committee was formed by the civil aviation ministry to investigate the appointment of the 32 cadet pilots. It found irregularities in the appointment process. Later, it sent the report to the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for proper action. The ACC is investigating into the matter. The civil aviation ministry report states that former Biman managing director and CEO Mosaddek Hossain, who was sacked in May this year before the completion of his tenure, was allegedly involved in the corruption. The report found that to appoint a favoured one, who happened to be Mosaddeks nephew, several changes were made in the job circular, as well as in the exam process, the sources said. According to the first advertisement for appointment of the cadet pilots, 32 applicants were supposed to be unfit for the written test. But after the second advertisement (corrected), the 32 candidates became eligible for the written test. This was gross violation of the established procedure for appointments, said a ministry official. Even though a number of applicants were not eligible and fared badly in the exam, they were given pass marks so that the nephew of Mosaddek could get a chance, sources in the aviation ministry said. Even the exam structure, which earlier contained 70 per cent marks for the written test and 30 per cent marks for viva-voce, was changed to 50-50 written and oral test so that a larger chunk of marks could be given in the latter one. Mosaddek, at a press briefing in February this year, tried to defend the controversial exam and told journalists that it was conducted in a transparent manner. He said 76 applicants passed in the written exam, out of which appointments were given to 32 after the oral exam. The sub-committee, however, found that the final list, which contained the names of the 32 cadet pilots, did not have the signature of the head of the selection committee. In the last week of July, the ACC had questioned Biman general manager (admin) Bushra Islam, director (store and logistics support) Mominul Islam, former director (admin) Partha Kumar Pandit, director (engineering) Sajjadur Rahim, director (planning) Air Commodore Mahbub Jaman Khan, director (finance) Binit Sud and former director of finance Ashraful Alam.