Biman gets new MD

Biman at last has a managing director with relevant experience after Md. Shafiqur Rahman, a veteran of the national flag carrier, was chosen by the new board to steady the ship riddled by years of malpractices.

In recent years, bureaucrats with no relevant experience in the aviation sector have been appointed to run the national airline.

Not just that, Biman became a revolving door of MDs, with none lasting for more than two years. In the last six years, Biman had five MDs, with one tenure being just five months.

Rahman's predecessor Zahidul Islam Bhuiyan, who was an additional secretary at the Prime Minister's Office, was appointed in May.

Bhuiyan replaced Shafiul Azim, who was an additional secretary attached to the cabinet division.

During his 18-month tenure, Azim reopened and launched new route in different international destinations. But all of a sudden he was made the secretary to the Election Commission.

Azim was appointed the Biman MD in December 2022 after Zahid Hossain was sent to the ministry of primary and mass education.

Hossain, who lasted in the post for five months, had replaced Abu Saleh Mostafa Kamal, an additional secretary at the cabinet Division dispatched to helm the flag carrier in September 2021.

Kamal was in the post for 17 months before he was made the director general of the social welfare department.

He replaced Md Mokabbir Hossain, an additional secretary of the civil aviation ministry, who was appointed in September 2019. He was in the post for 18 months.

But none of the past five Biman MDs met the requirements for the post as mentioned in the circular published in 2019 for recruiting the MD and CEO.

Candidates with 20 years' experience in the aviation sector, including 10 years in a senior management or directorial post, were asked to apply.

Rahman though meets the criteria.

He started his career as a trainee commercial officer at Biman Bangladesh Airlines in 1986 and retired in 2017 as the director of sales and marketing. He served in important departments of Biman.

"Nowhere in the world would you find the topmost post of an airline given to such a person who does not have any background in aviation and business -- this is only possible in Biman Bangladesh Airlines," said Kazi Wahidul Alam, an aviation expert.