Kazi Zahidul Hasan :
Top Biman officials are facing probe by the Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) for their alleged involvement in widespread corruption and irregularities that led the national flag carrier to suffer perennial financial losses.
ACC has already formed several teams to investigate the corruption charges against top Biman officials and many other staff who are carrying out various responsibilities in key departments.
The Commission earlier found that a section of corrupt officials of Biman are involved with irregularities in procurement and leasing of aircrafts, maintenance and overhauling, ground service, cargo handling, additional baggage management, ticket selling and catering service.
“Eight sectors were identified in Biman where corruption is rampant. The corruption has been occurring for years in collusion with top Biman officials,” an ACC official told The New Nation yesterday on condition of anonymity.
He said, an ACC team has been engaged in probing corruption and bribery allegation against 10 top Biman officials, including its sacked Managing Director,
As a part of the investigation, the ACC already recorded statements of Biman’s Director (marketing) Ali Ahsan Babu, Shafiqur Rahman, Mominul Islam and General Manager (GSE) Tofazzal Hossain Akhond.
ACC also served notice on wife of Biman’s Commercial Officer Mahfuzul Karim Siddiqui asking her to submit wealth information
Notices will be given to others corrupt suspects to dig out their undisclosed income. An ACC team has also been given the responsibility for probing alleged embezzlement of Tk 720 crore through manipulating charges from cargo handling service.
An anonymous source said that the national anti-graft agency is also thinking to bring several Biman directors under its scanner as they allegedly worked for intermediary companies to manipulate and exploit the purchasing and leasing process of aircraft for undue financial gains.
At the same time, the national anti-graft agency is also preparing to serve notices to 200 more official and employees of Biman to record their statement over the national flag carrier’s abysmal corruption.
“ACC will take tough action against the people involved with Biman’s corrupt practices,” said the ACC official.
Earlier, the ACC issued travel ban on sacked Biman managing director Mosaddique Ahmed and nine other top officials for investigation into their alleged involvement in graft.
Sources in the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism said that the ministry also formed several probe body to look into corruption and irregularities by Biman officials.
The ministry also moved forward to bring a major overhual in Biman’s top management post to get rid of Biman’s systemic graft, weak management and perennial financial losses.
Biman continues to incur a huge amount of loss almost every year since its inception in 1972.
Biman reported net loss of Tk 201 crore in the last financial year (2017-18) despite a double-digit growth in passengers and improved revenue earnings.
