DHAKA, April 9, 2019 (BSS) – State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali today said the government will take stern action if any individual or quarter was found jeopardizing Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
“No one including Biman officials will be exempted .. if found guilty,” he said while speaking at a meeting with leaders of Association of Travel Agents of Bangladesh (ATAB) at its office in the capital this afternoon.
The state minister said his ministry had taken tough position against Biman’s irregularities in line with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s zero tolerance policy on corruption.
Ali said the government took several measures to make Biman profitable and the national flag carrier had already started to get full load factor in important routes.
“Currently, Biman is not flying with empty seats …. most flights are operating full capacity,” he said.
The state minister said if the foreign airlines can make profit by operating flights here, the national flag carrier can also do the same.
Ali said the government is constructing the third terminal of the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) with 24 boarding bridges and 24 baggage convoy belts at a cost of Taka 14,000 crore.
“We will be able to build the new terminal within next three or three and half years … it will resolve most of the current problems of our airport,” he said.
Member of Parliament Hosne Ara, ATAB president Monzoor Morshed Mahbub and secretary general Abdus Salam Aref also spoke on the occasion, among others. Later, the state minister handed over certificates to representative of different travel agencies for achieving a standardized training programme.