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PM-THIRD TERMINAL LEAD 2 DHAKA
Sheikh Hasina said: “I’m working throughout the day for the country, and
try to enquire about what happens where. So, news comes to me immediately if
any irregularity or deviation takes place anywhere … everybody will have to
bear it in mind.”
The prime minister also asked the authorities concerned to look after the
facilities of the air passengers and stay alert so that they are not harassed
in anyway.
“Our reserve is increasing day by day due to Bangladeshi workers who are
working abroad. But when they return home, they become victims of harassment
(in airports) in various ways,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina added: “Though the extent of harassment has reduced to a
great extent. I’ll say that their facilities will have to be looked after,
and special attention will have to be given so they don’t become victims of
harassment in the airports.”
The prime minister instructed the Biman authorities to work more sincerely
to increase the reputation of the national flag carrier internationally.
“In the past there was a problem that tickets were not available but the
aircraft is empty. Such many things would have happened,” she said.
Referring to smuggling of gold through Biman aircraft, Sheikh Hasina
mentioned that she once upon a time jokingly said: Biman becomes
“swarnaprosobini” as gold bars are recovered from it.
“It must be stopped and efforts will have to be made so that
Biman’s reputation is enhanced further,” she said.
Sheikh Hasina said the government has been working to raise passenger
services of Biman in other countries. “We can make ‘code sharing’ with other
airlines and through it, we can send passengers to many stations abroad …
we’ll do it in future,”
The prime minister also urged all concerned including passengers to give
special attention to proper maintenance of aircraft of Biman.
“Not only purchasing the aircraft, all will have to remain aware so that
the planes run properly … the passengers will also have to be caring as the
aircraft are ours and they are bought by our own money,” she said.
Pointing out her government’s plan to procure cargo planes for Biman,
Sheikh Hasina said the organisation will not be profitable without it.
The prime minister said her government is taking steps to further develop
internal communication system. “When our government first assumed office in
1996, we created scope for the private airlines to operate their planes and
now many private airlines are involved in the sector,” she said.
“We’ve created such a scope. But alongside it, we want Biman to have its
own arrangements. To ensure passenger service, it’s not proper to leave it
completely to the private sector,” she said.
Keeping this in mind, she said, three Dash aircrafts are coming from Canada
which will be operated on domestic routes.
Sheikh Hasina said Biman Bangladesh Airlines which was on the verge of
extinction was reorganized freshly. “Today I inaugurated two Boeing 787
Dreamliners of the national flag carrier through which 12 new aircraft were
added to its fleet,” she said.
MORE/BSS/SH/ARS/1520 hrs