Biman training chief removed

Capt Sazid Ahmed

Biman removed Capt Sazid Ahmed from the post of chief of training with immediate effect yesterday.

He will act as a line pilot of the Boeing 777-300ER from now on.

The decision was made following allegations against Capt Sazid that include misusing power, giving undue privileges to his pilot wife Sadia Ahmed and others, and discriminating against female cockpit crew members.

The move came after the national flag carrier on March 6 formed a three-member investigation committee to look into alleged irregularities in hiring pilots for the Boeing 777-300ER and paying them hefty salaries.

The committee was also asked to investigate the alleged forgery of pilot Sadia Ahmed's HSC certificate.

Biman formed the probe body in response to a report by The Daily Star published on March 1.

Headlined "Biman paying for hiring unqualified Boeing 777 pilots", the newspaper reported that in February last year, Biman recruited a batch of contractual pilots to fly its Boeing 777-300ERs, claiming that it needed pilots immediately due to a shortage.

A year later, only five of the batch of 14 pilots, have taken to the air. The rest were lost in a quagmire of forged certificates, incompetence and failed licensing exams.

Biman spent a huge amount for their inflated salaries and training, all of which are now money gone down the drain.

Biman's operation manual mandates that to fly the Boeing 777, the world's largest passenger jet in production, all first officers must have at least 300 flying hours in the preceding two years under their belt.

But none of the recruits, including Sadia, met that criterion.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) called it a "safety concern" in official correspondence and even the Prime Minister's Office intervened and asked the national flag carrier to investigate.

According to a document of Biman dated February 13 this year, out of the 14 recruited, only four captains and a first officer passed all the tests to fly the plane.

Biman, however, has been flouting rule after rule and going to great lengths to protect the pilots who failed.

In September last year, nine out of 15 female cockpit crew members of Biman alleged that their bosses in training and scheduling departments discriminate against them and harass them so much so that it even jeopardises flight safety on at least one occasion.

They said the work environment has become hostile due to intentional discrimination, harassment, regular verbal abuse, 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.