Stern actions will be taken against those involved in harassing female cockpit crew in Biman Bangladesh Airlines, said State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali at an event on Friday night.

He was talking to reporters after attending "Gala award ceremony of monitor airlines of the year" at a city hotel.

Mahbub said the country's prime minister, opposition leader and speaker are women. Many are working in the top positions in army, navy and government services. There are many women who are working as secretaries, deputy commissioners and UNOs.

Therefore, the government will not tolerate any incident of harassment against women.  

Nine out of 15 female cockpit crew members of Biman recently alleged that their bosses in training and scheduling departments discriminate and harass them so much that it even jeopardised flight safety on at least one occasion.

They said the work environment has become hostile due to intentional discrimination, harassment, regular verbal abuse, and deprivation of promotions and training opportunities.

This has caused female cockpit crew members to be under tremendous stress and some have even quit Biman, the nine said in their first group report -- "Confidential Report on Female Cockpit Crew Harassment" -- to Biman's chief of flight safety, other officials, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh.

Biman has five female captains and 10 female first officers, according to the national flag carrier.

Asked about theft of dollars and other valuables from the luggage of two members of Bangladesh's SAFF Women's Championship-winning team on Wednesday, the state minister claimed the incident didn't take place at the Dhaka airport.

"It might have taken place at a different place," he said.

More than 72 hours have passed, nobody still knows how and from where the money was stolen from the luggage of two female footballers -- Krishna Rani Sarkar and Shamsunnahar Senior.