Civil aviation ministry to probe VVIP flight security clearance issue
A probe will be launched to find out how three cabin crew members and head of security of Biman Bangladesh Airlines got permission to serve a VVIP flight without security clearance, said State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali.
He said this on Tuesday while talking to the reporters after the inauguration of Air Astra – the country's newest private airlines – at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
Maj Taiz Ibne Anwar, head of security of Biman, and three cabin crew members – Flight Purser Sufia Akhter Shupti, Flight Steward Apon Kumar Singha Sinha, and Flight Stewardess Mariyan Fatema Sheheli – of the national flag carrier were not given clearance to serve the VVIP flight carrying President M Abdul Hamid.
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The VVIP flight was scheduled to carry M Abdul Hamid and members of his entourage from London to Dhaka Wednesday, sources at the Biman Bangladesh Airlines said.
Thirteen cabin crew members and Maj Taiz Ibne Anwar, also deputy general manager of security of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, went to London by a flight of the national airliner on 13 November to serve the VVIP flight.
When the VVIP flight security officials noticed that the Biman officials without security clearance were to get on board the airplane carrying the president, they asked Biman authorities to bring them back to the country.
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines said in a press release Tuesday that there have been no irregularities in the selection of cabin crew for VVIP flights.
Protesting a media report, the state-flag carrier explained that a 13-member cabin crew with vetting clearance was initially selected for VVIP flight duties.
The selected crew members primarily left Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport at 8:40am on 13 November on a London-bound flight.
"However, on 13 November, Biman's security department directed not to assign three out of the selected 13 members on a VVIP flight due on 16 November. The authorities replaced the identified three with others who have the vetting clearance for the 16 November flight," read the release.
"The three officials who did not get vetting clearance have been assigned to another scheduled flight. In this case, there was no violation of rules in the selection of cabin crew on the VVIP flight," it added.
President M Abdul Hamid left Dhaka on 29 October on a 16-day visit to Germany and the UK for a health check-up.
President Hamid was scheduled to undergo a health checkup in a hospital in Germany and an eye hospital in London.
Meanwhile, the state minister for civil aviation and tourism on Tuesday also said, an investigation is ongoing regarding the question leak of the recruitment examination of Biman.
"Stern actions will be taken against those who will be found involved in leaking the question papers of different recruitment tests of Biman," he said.
