Trouble continues for the Bangladesh national carrier. Following a hijacking attempt on one of its planes a couple of weeks ago, now the country’s authorities accuse Biman Bangladesh Airlines of corruption.
Bangladesh Anti-Corruption Commission (ACC) has found 19 areas of possible corruption in aviation. Eight of these areas are linked to Biman Bangladesh Airlines and point to irregularities and possible corruption related to purchase, lease of aircraft, ticket sales, cargo export and import, catering, recruitment and transfer, according to United News of Bangladesh.
In civil aviation sector, corruption was detected in areas of maintenance, repair, purchase, property management, construction, development work, appointment of consultants, recruitment promotions and transfers of staff, lease of airport spaces, and even billboard renting fares.
Meanwhile, Biman Bangladesh Airlines is recovering from a hijacking attempt. On February 24, 2019, the carrier’s flight en route to Dubai endured a hijacking attempt and had to make emergency landing at Shah Amanat International Airport (CGP) in Chuttong, Bangladesh. Eventually, passengers and crew were evacuated safety, while the perpetrator was gunned down by the country’s special forces. On March 7, 2019, the airline reintroduced Boeing 737-800, which was involved in the incident, to service.