5 Biman officials sent to jail in case over TK 1,164 cr loss
Court Correspondent
A court here today sent five former officials of Biman Bangladesh Airlines to jail in a case over leasing two faulty Boeing 777 aircraft from Egypt that led to a loss of TK 1,164 crore.
The five accused are- former principal engineer Shahid Uddin Mohammad Hanif, former engineer officer Md Zahid Hossain, former deputy chief engineer Md Shahjahan, principal system engineer (structure) Sharif Ruhul Quddus and former deputy chief engineer Md Shafikul Alam Siddique.
Dhaka Metropolitan Sessions Judge Md Zakir Hossain Galib passed the order as the accused surrendered before the court and pleaded for bail.
Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) deputy director Jesmin Akter filed the case on February 6, 2023. Investigation officer and ACC deputy director Anwarul Haque later filed charge-sheet against 16 persons.
According to the case documents, Biman Bangladesh in 2014 took two Boeing 777-200 ER aircrafts on lease from Egypt Air for five years. On February, 2015, engine of one aircraft went down, making Biman to take an engine from Egypt Air on rent to keep the aircraft running. After one and a half years, another engine went down, making Biman again bring another engine from Egypt Air on rent.
After some time, one engine, which was brought on rent, went bad too, making Biman to send the defective engine to the US for repairing. In the meantime, Biman had to pay the rent to Egypt Air and repairing cost the US Company as well.
The state incurred a loss of TK 1,164 crore by those two faulty aircrafts.
