Babychak has started investigation against various irregularities of former CSO (Chief Security Officer) of Civil Aviation Authority (Babychak) Rashida Sultana. A 3-member investigation committee has been formed.
The committee will investigate 5 serious allegations including influence peddling, disciplinary actions, intimidation of subordinates, abuse and bribery. This committee with 3 members was formed on 12th June. The committee has been asked to submit an inquiry report to the chairman of the authority within the next 10 working days.
It is learned that the allegations against the Deputy Director Rashida Sultana are – verbally abusing, religiously insulting and threatening physical harm to Assistant Director (ATM) and Syedpur Airport Manager Suplab Kumar Ghosh.
He did not respond to the call for clarification regarding the non-submission of the Annual Confidential Report (SR) for the years 2020-21 and 2022 on time. Rashida was asked to appear before the medical board for a health examination in view of several serious allegations made by former member (security) of Babychak, Abu Saleh Mahmood Mannafi, but she refused.
Kawsar Ali, a motor transport driver, verbally abused and abused her while working in the Avsec department. Besides, if he demanded a bribe from the manager of Syedpur airport, if he did not give it, he was threatened to be thrown out of his job, including insulting him.
Besides, he has taken possession of two government houses and several cars. Incidentally, currently Rashida Sultana is working as Deputy Director of Training and Certification Department.
Babychak Member (ATM) Air Commodore AKM Ziaul Haque has been appointed as the convener of this inquiry committee. Other members of the committee are Director (CNS) Mahabubur Rahman, Deputy Director (Personnel) Sohel Kamruzzaman.
This information is known from a letter signed by Assistant Director (Human Resource Development) Nizam Uddin. Before this, another investigation committee was formed against Rashida Sultana on May 26. In this letter, the inquiry committee chaired by the Director (Administration) on May 26 was asked to be exempted from the said inquiry.
Former member (security) Abu Saleh Mannafi sent a letter to the Babychak chairman on June 12 last year to take strict action against Rashida and to give legal punishment. There are numerous allegations against Rashida in that 7-page letter.
These include allegations of official disciplinary action, defamation of the Prime Minister’s name and threats to senior officials. He misbehaved with SSF officials during VVIP security at the airport and obstructed the performance of VIP security duties.
When the SSF complained about this, it was proved in the investigation of the administration department of Babychak. Rashida Sultana occupied two houses C-2/1 and C-2/3 in Kawla residential area for more than a year. Although several letters were sent in this regard, he disobeyed the authority’s order and kept the two houses in his possession.
Besides, it is alleged against Rashida that she withheld a file and took a huge amount of money from an airline. According to the rules, 2 cents per kg has to be collected from the respective airlines for scanning the outbound cargoes.
Civil Aviation Accounts Branch issues a fortnightly bill to the airlines and they pay the bill within 15 days. Allegedly, one airline was owed USD 8,160.
Based on this complaint, a letter was sent to the airline to pay the dues within 7 days. Otherwise they are instructed to close the scanning facility. But Rashida Sultana kept the file to herself without taking proper action during her tenure as Assistant Director of Security Department. In return, he accepted illegal financial benefits of huge amount.
He kept the file to himself for a long month despite being repeatedly told. The money was recovered through the account branch, excluding Rashida Sultana. The Accounts Branch ignored the Security Branch and collected the money through another letter.
According to a confidential report of an agency, Rashida Sultana demanded huge sums of money by threatening officials working in various important positions including airport manager as anti-government.
He irregularly collects extra money in the name of medical treatment including business class tickets, extra money for daily allowance from the supplier during foreign travel for training and factory acceptance test.
When asked about these issues, Rashida Sultana told Yugantar that these allegations are completely false. He is due to be promoted next month. A syndicate of Babychucks has made these false allegations to stop this promotion. He said, I am the son of a freedom fighter. With the Prime Minister’s intervention, I joined Babych as a child of a freedom fighter. I have been abused in many ways since joining. No good postings. Former member security Abu Saleh Mannafi sir made false allegations against me. He cannot make me stand before the medical board in any way. I did not go to the medical board because it was illegal. Syedupar airport manager’s allegation is false. So far there was no discussion about these, whenever I applied for promotion to the chairman, my subordinates including a director of the administration department rose up against me.