Biman removes Captain Sazid from chief of training post

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has removed Captain Sazid Ahmed from the post of chief of training after detecting his involvement in anomalies in pilot recruitment.

Sazid will work as a regular pilot now, according to an order Biman issued on 9 March.

Earlier, the Prime Minister's Office raised allegations of anomalies in recruitment of 14 pilots including Sazid's wife Sadia, who took undue favour to become a pilot.

Following the allegation, Biman formed a probe committee which found Sazid's involvement in the incident, according to a Biman source.

Biman appointed 14 pilots recently on contract basis but recruitment policy was allegedly ignored in the entire recruitment process. Moreover, controversial and unqualified candidates were recruited. Even, job agreement was done in favour of the new pilots, breaking the existing policy.

For instance, Sadia Ahmed, who has an accident record and was fired from US Bangla and Regent Airlines due to inefficiency, was recruited in Biman as a pilot for its Boeing 777 aircraft, according to a secret report the aviation ministry sent to Biman with reference to the PMO.

Captain Sazid Ahmed, chief of training at Biman, and also husband of Sadia, conducted her exam.

Sadia was sent to Bangkok for simulator training for 777 aircraft at the cost of Biman. Previously, Sadia was disqualified in simulator training when she was sent to Istanbul from Regent Airways, according to the ministry report.

This time, the simulator centre for Sadia was changed from Jakarta to Bangkok overnight with the influence of Sazid to make her qualify.

Previously, in the contractual pilot's agreement, it was clearly mentioned that the training cost till the first flight is to be paid by pilots. But in the case of the newly recruited 14 pilots, that provision was removed and there is no mention on which party will bear the cost.

The issue came to Biman's attention after the training department sent the Thai Flight Training Centre's payment invoice of Tk44.77 lakh for 14 pilots.

The ministry report said Sazid removed the clause of training cost from agreement to favour his wife Sadia.

Moreover, in the case of Sadia's job agreement, there is a clause that she can leave her job anytime with a notice of three months. As a result, Sadia can leave her job and join other airlines after completing her training at Biman's cost.

Other newly recruited pilots were also found to have controversial backgrounds and did not match Biman's recruitment requirements, according to the ministry report.