Ex-Biman bosses asked to submit written statement over leasing 2 aircraft

Biman Bangladesh Airlines' former chairman Air Marshal (retd) Jamal Uddin Ahmed and former MD Mosaddique Ahmed were asked today to submit written statements in 10 days by a parliamentary body, over the lease of two Boeing 777 aircraft from Egypt, that led to a huge monetary loss for the airliner.

The parliamentary standing committee on Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry quizzed the duo today at the Jatiya Sangsad Bhaban with RAM Obaidul Muktadir Chowdhury, MP in the chair, according to sources.

Earlier on September 29, Jamal Uddin and Mosaddique had given verbal statements on the matter. "But the committee today said both of them will have to submit written statements within 10 days before it," sources in the meeting said.

The written statements will be examined through an expert team and the committee will take necessary measures for the next course of action on the issue.

Jamal, Mosaddique, and several other former Biman officials were present at today's meeting.

On September 8, the parliamentary body summoned all Biman officials involved in the lease of the two Boeing 777-200ER from Egypt in 2014, causing a huge loss for the national flag carrier.

Biman in October 2019, finally got rid of the two leased Boeing 777-200ER aeroplanes that caused the national flag carrier to incur losses worth around Tk 1,223 crore.

A Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry probe in March 2019, concluded that the terms and conditions of the "non-transparent" lease agreement clearly went against Biman's interests.

The probe body found that a section of Biman officials inked the non-transparent deal for personal gains, sources said quoting the probe report.

The revenue collected from the operation of these two aircraft was Tk 22 billion and the cost behind the two was Tk 33 billion.