Biman Bangladesh Airlines’ board chairman Abdul Muyeed Chowdhury on Thursday dismissed the idea of splitting the national carrier into two, stating that there was no logical basis for such a move.
‘There is no logic to split Biman. I don’t see any major issue in Biman’s operation,’ he told journalists at an event held at Biman’s hangar complex at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
His remarks came in response to a recommendation made by the government’s task force committee, which was formed to reassess Biman’s economic strategy.
Recently, planning adviser Wahiduddin Mahmud labelled Biman as an inefficient institution and suggested exploring the option of running the state-owned airline under foreign management to improve its commercial viability.
The event was organised to mark the successful completion of a D-Check on one of Biman’s Boeing 737 aircraft, carried out entirely by the airline’s engineering department for the first time at HSIA.
According to Biman officials, similar D-Checks for this type of aircraft were previously conducted abroad at a cost of Tk 20-25 crore. However, this time, local engineers completed the procedure for less than Tk 7 crore.
A D-Check is the most comprehensive and extensive maintenance overhaul performed on an aircraft, involving a complete disassembly and inspection to identify and repair any damage or corrosion.
Commenting on Biman’s reform initiatives, Abdul Muyeed said that the successful D-Check completion was part of the airline’s ongoing reforms.
‘Today, we have successfully completed a D-Check under our own management. This had never been done before. It wouldn’t have been possible without the collective efforts of Biman’s employees. This achievement has saved significant costs. If Biman wasn’t functioning well, how could this have been accomplished?’ he said.
When asked about Biman’s ground handling capabilities for the newly built modern third terminal, he asserted that the airline had been managing ground services since its inception and saw no reason to outsource the function.
‘If an external company takes over, will they bring people from America? They will have to use our workforce anyway. So, why can’t we handle it ourselves?’ he questioned.
He added, ‘If an external company comes in and says they will bring workers from Dubai or India, that’s a different discussion.’
Addressing complaints from foreign airlines regarding Biman’s ground handling services, Abdul Muyeed refuted claims of inefficiency. ‘Foreign airlines have not lodged any complaints. They don’t face any difficulties,’ he added.
However, he acknowledged some technical challenges in baggage handling, noting that the current terminal’s capacity limits the number of baggage containers it can accommodate at a time.
‘Previously, there were some issues with baggage handling, and denying that would be incorrect. But now, all staff members wear body cameras, allowing continuous monitoring of their actions,’ he said.
Claiming that passengers often receive their first bag by the time they complete immigration, the chairman said, ‘We have made significant improvements.’ He emphasised that any Biman staff caught engaging in misconduct was immediately dismissed.
Abdul Muyeed also stated that as new airlines were added, more manpower would be required and recruitment was already underway.
When asked whether Biman could provide D-Check services to foreign airlines, he affirmed the possibility and said that it could be one of the major sources of revenue for the airline.