Mohammad Kamal Hossain Nehal, Junior Purser (Cabin Crew) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines lost his job due to his involvement in gold smuggling. Later he was demoted one step even though he got his job back on special consideration. From there he returned to his previous position. Biman has completed all arrangements to promote him one step. He is scheduled to take his oral examination (viva) today on Sunday.
Not only Nehal, 16 other junior pursers are eligible for promotion on the same day. They are promoted to Flight Purser. But all of them have serious charges against them, many lost their jobs due to smuggling. Some have suffered various punishments including demotion. Biman, a state-owned airline, had to lose its image as these workers indulged in misdemeanors like smuggling. As the process of promoting them has started, many questions have arisen.
According to Biman’s customer service department, a flight purser is responsible for each flight. At least 76 people are currently employed as flight pursers in Biman. But Biman is operating flights on an average of 30 routes per day. Accordingly, if one flight purser performs the duties of each flight, 46 people have to sit. Despite this, the promotion of these junior pursers, who have been punished for various misdeeds, as flight pursers, has created a mystery.
According to related sources, Kamal Hussain Nehal, who was in the process of being promoted from junior purser to flight purser, was caught by customs officials at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport by smuggling gold inside his shoes while on duty in a flight. Biman dismissed him as the incident was proved in the investigation. Also promoted from Junior Purser to Steward. This year he was again promoted to junior purser. Less than a year after this promotion he is now being ‘rewarded’ with another promotion to flight purser. However, according to the service regulations of Biman, if one does not serve in the same post for three years, one is not eligible for promotion.
Ashiqur Rahman Ashiq, another junior purser on the promotion list, was caught several times in Dhaka for smuggling foreign drugs. He was suspended as punishment. Shahinul Islam Tauhid has serious allegations of negligence in flight.
An official in charge of the airline said that Tawhid dropped the plane’s slide (a special type of ladder used during emergency landing) while on duty in the flight. This caused a huge financial loss to the airline. Apart from that, there is also a customs case against him.
Related sources say that there are various complaints against Minhaj Uddin Minhaj, Farooqul Alam Shahriar and Ghaus Uddin Ahmed Ghaus who are on the promotion list. Ataur Rahman Uttam, Kabirul Haque Khan and Fakhrul Hasan Fahim were also caught by the customs members several times for smuggling and fired. Kamrul Islam Bipan has been accused of anti-discipline activities. He did not show up for the flight in Italy on time and the flight was delayed. He was fired. There is also a customs case against Mustafa Abdullah Al Mamun Muqid. The authorities deducted three increments from him for allegedly stealing a mobile phone set in flight. Hafizul Islam Hafiz holds a Belgian passport. Zahid Hossain Rafsan is also accused of trafficking. He was fired for that. Apart from this, Salim Hossain Ravi, who is on the promotion list, molested a housekeeping girl in a residential hotel in Japan while performing his duties on the flight. A case was filed against him in that incident and he was punished.
In Biman Bangladesh Airlines, these cabin crews are looked after by the customer service department of the company. When asked about the promotion of those accused and fired for committing crimes, Director (Joint Secretary) Hayat-ud-Daula Khan told Kalbela that the Customer Service Department is responsible for the day-to-day management of stewards or pursers. Their promotion is looked after by the Administration and Human Resource Department.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines Director of Administration and Human Resources (Joint Secretary) Md. Motiul Islam Chowdhury told Kalbela that things are checked before promotion. If an employee commits a crime, he is punished according to the degree of his crime. How long the effect of this punishment will last, is stated in the rules.
He said, after the expiry of the period after punishment, NOC is taken from the concerned department to verify whether the concerned employee is fit for promotion or not. After that basically the promotion process starts.
The director said that the authorities must consider and decide on how the image of the airline has been tarnished by these cabin crews involved in crimes like smuggling and they are being promoted again.
Of course, Transparency International Bangladesh (TIB) executive director Dr. Iftekharuzzaman told Kalbela, if this happens, Biman is taking a corrupt status. Doing so is protecting such people by indulging and encouraging corruption as well as by rehabilitating and promoting those convicted of crimes such as smuggling. Biman as a state institution is expected to refrain from such activities but it is failing to do so.
Mentioning that those who took this decision also have no chance to avoid responsibility, he said, those who are getting promotion after being punished for committing a crime, whether there was any other reason behind it or not, the highest authority should ensure accountability by checking that they are getting this promotion.
According to several cabin crews of Biman, flight attendants or flight attendants perform duties on Boeing-777 model aircraft among the aircraft in the fleet of Biman Bangladesh Airlines. A chief purser, a flight purser, a junior purser and 7 to 8 stewards or stewardesses are on duty in the flight of this model aircraft. Boeing-787 Dreamliner aircraft also have 10 people, Boeing-737 model aircraft have 4 to 6 people under the leadership of a flight purser. A Junior Purser and a Steward or Stewardess are on duty in Dash-8 model aircraft on domestic flights. In that case, there is a shortage of stewards or stewardesses, but there is no shortage of flight pursers and chief pursers.
A responsible official of Biman said that there are already more than twice the number of staff as flight pursers compared to the requirement. Re-promotion to the same post will be of no use other than a waste of air fares for extra pay and allowances. Salaries and allowances should be paid by retaining the promoted ones. Besides, rewarding the punished with promotion may encourage others to commit the same crime.
According to the concerned sources, these junior pursers who have suffered punishment are so trusted by the senior class of influential officials of Biman that they are assigned to that position in different flights, excluding the seniors of the post of flight pursers. Although their job ID card mentions their title as Junior Purser and Flight GD also mentions the same title. But when the flight starts, their name is mentioned as Flight Purser in the Final Crew Position (FCP).