Biman Bangladesh Airlines has formed a four-member internal investigation committee to probe a technical glitch that delayed a flight carrying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his entourage from Japan by over five hours.
The national flag carrier's public relations department confirmed the move on Friday. Director (Administration and HR) Neyamul Kabir issued an office order directing the committee to submit its findings to Biman's Managing Director and CEO within four working days.
The committee is headed by Biman’s Chief of Planning and Scheduling, with the Manager of Legal Affairs serving as member-secretary. The other members are the Chief Engineer (Engineering Production) and the Deputy Chief of Flight Safety. The panel may co-opt additional officials if necessary.
The fault was detected on Thursday on flight BG 377, operating on the Narita–Dhaka route following the Prime Minister’s four-day official visit to Japan. The flight was scheduled to depart Narita International Airport at 6:00 pm local time but was grounded while a Biman engineering team, assisted by Japanese technicians completed repairs. The aircraft eventually took off at 7:55 pm Bangladesh time. Passengers including the Prime Minister, waited in the airport lounge during the delay.
The committee’s terms of reference include identifying the exact cause of the malfunction also reviewing maintenance and airworthiness procedures and evaluating the impact on operating costs, schedules and Biman’s institutional reputation.
It will also examine potential negligence, poor coordination or procedural lapses, assign individual responsibility and recommend preventative measures for future operations.
