bdnews24.com :
Departing Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon has warned his replacement AKM Shajahan Kamal that the problems of state-run Bangladesh Biman could eclipse any potential achievements.
In an address during his handover of the post on Thursday, Menon said: “One of your comments is receiving a lot of attention on the television. It is true that Biman is in crisis. Most of the insults directed at you will be on this topic. I will say this in front of Biman’s MD – whatever we achieve is eaten up by Biman’s shadow.”
Menon was relieved of his duty at the civil aviation and tourism ministry during the cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday and transferred
to the ministry of social welfare. The Workers Party chairman had been at the post for four years. Menon also addressed the various critics he had faced during his tenure at civil aviation.
“The day before yesterday we were discussing various civil aviation matters and the subject of Biman was raised. Both sides had much to say and I listened.” Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was the most critical, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to say ‘why don’t you take over?’, to which Tofail apologised and said he would not, according to Menon. Security at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airpoirt was called into question several times during Menon’s tenure. The UK banned cargo flights from Dhaka on March, 2016, citing security concerns. The ban is yet to be lifted. The ban played a role in Biman’s falling profits this year.
“You will face difficulties due to Biman, such as three-hour luggage delays,” Menon told the new minister. “But I will say this – since this board was assembled the first piece of luggage was put on the conveyer belt 20 minutes after landing and the last was put on the belt within 85 minutes.”
“In some countries they have to walk through immigration for half an hour. But here they can go through immigration immediately after disembarking from the plane and go to collect their luggage. They forget it takes half an hour to walk through immigration in other countries. They just say ‘my luggage has been delayed’.”
Departing Civil Aviation Minister Rashed Khan Menon has warned his replacement AKM Shajahan Kamal that the problems of state-run Bangladesh Biman could eclipse any potential achievements.
In an address during his handover of the post on Thursday, Menon said: “One of your comments is receiving a lot of attention on the television. It is true that Biman is in crisis. Most of the insults directed at you will be on this topic. I will say this in front of Biman’s MD – whatever we achieve is eaten up by Biman’s shadow.”
Menon was relieved of his duty at the civil aviation and tourism ministry during the cabinet reshuffle on Wednesday and transferred
to the ministry of social welfare. The Workers Party chairman had been at the post for four years. Menon also addressed the various critics he had faced during his tenure at civil aviation.
“The day before yesterday we were discussing various civil aviation matters and the subject of Biman was raised. Both sides had much to say and I listened.” Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed was the most critical, prompting Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to say ‘why don’t you take over?’, to which Tofail apologised and said he would not, according to Menon. Security at Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airpoirt was called into question several times during Menon’s tenure. The UK banned cargo flights from Dhaka on March, 2016, citing security concerns. The ban is yet to be lifted. The ban played a role in Biman’s falling profits this year.
“You will face difficulties due to Biman, such as three-hour luggage delays,” Menon told the new minister. “But I will say this – since this board was assembled the first piece of luggage was put on the conveyer belt 20 minutes after landing and the last was put on the belt within 85 minutes.”
“In some countries they have to walk through immigration for half an hour. But here they can go through immigration immediately after disembarking from the plane and go to collect their luggage. They forget it takes half an hour to walk through immigration in other countries. They just say ‘my luggage has been delayed’.”
