Staf Reporter :
The state-owned Sonali Bank Limited has granted a loan of Tk 1,000 crore for the national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines under the stimulus package announced by prime minister Sheikh Hasina on April 5 for different industries affected for the coronavirus situation.
The bank’s board of directors granted the loan on Thursday as working capital for the national flag carrier to bear its operational costs, the bank said in a statement.
The bank granted the loan after the central bank issued a guideline over distributing loans under stimulus package.
Biman, meanwhile, was exploring all possible options for its survival including taking out a loan of Tk 1,500 crore from government-owned Sonali Bank and readying its aircraft for charter to ferry passengers from any destinations back to the country amid the situation, and to meet its essential costs including payment of salaries to over 5,000 employees.
The officials said Biman needed Tk 266 crore for aircraft maintenance to keep its 18 aircrafts airworthy.
They said that they needed Tk 98 crore this month to pay for the newly procured six aircrafts on lease while Tk 70 crore was needed to pay the loan installments to banks.
Biman stopped operating flights to and from all its 17 destinations since March 29 due to flight restrictions announced by the Bangladesh government which was extended until May 7 in multiple phases.
The top management of the national flag carrier in a meeting around mid-March announced a 10 per cent slash on basic salaries and suspending nine other benefits and allowances for its employees ranging from the rank of pilots down to the managerial staff and cabin crew.
