Biman pilot hiring riddled with irregularities

A probe body formed by the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has found allegations of irregularities in the 2022 recruitment process of 14 Boeing 777 pilots by Biman Bangladesh Airlines to be true.

Complying with an earlier order, the probe body submitted its report to the High Court (HC) recently. The committee was headed by Muhammad Ashraf Ali Faruk, additional secretary (Biman and CA) of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism.

According to the report, the entire recruitment process -- from the publication of the recruitment circular to the appointment and training of the pilots -- was riddled with irregularities. Biman's then Chief of Training Captain Sazid Ahmed was at the centre of this process.

However, despite the irregularities, no disciplinary action has been taken against Biman officials involved in the recruitment.

The report found that some ineligible pilots reportedly had their contracts terminated later.

The report also said that Captain Sazid Ahmed contacted Bangladeshi pilots stationed abroad by email and other means before the advertisement was published, informing them about the opportunity to join as a Boeing 777 pilot. This pre-publication communication was unethical.

Biman's advertisement published on 22 November 2021 sought "type-rated" first officers for Boeing 737 aircraft and "type-rated" captains for Boeing 787 aircraft. However, the advertisement published on 22 November 2021 seeking captains and first officers for Boeing 777 did not mention "type-rated".

The probe committee questioned the exclusion of "type-rated" in the Boeing 777 advertisement.

To fly a specific aircraft, all pilots require a "type rating" for that aircraft. To obtain a type rating, pilots undergo route training, which includes a certain number of flights on the aircraft followed by an examination flight.

This test, called an initial route check (IRC), assesses the pilot's ability to handle the cockpit independently.

Biman's own operations manual mandates that all first officers on the Boeing 777, the world's largest passenger jet in production, must have at least 300 flying hours in the preceding two years. However, this criterion was omitted from the advertisement.

Captain Sazid Ahmed finalised the draft advertisement, which only required 500 hours of flying experience instead of the stipulated 2,000 hours for captains. This created an opportunity for less qualified pilots to be recruited.

The probe committee found that including "type-rated" and 2,000 hours of flying experience in the advertisement could have attracted more qualified pilots, saving training costs.

Captain Sazid Ahmed remained directly involved in the recruitment process despite his wife Sadia Ahmed being a candidate. Authorities did not remove him from the process. She was eventually appointed as a first officer but later lost her job due to a fake certificate.

The selection committee, headed by Captain Sazid Ahmed, also recruited Al Mehedi Islam as a first officer. He was subsequently dismissed for forging his Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) -- a mandatory qualification for pilots in command.

The probe report said that his selection constituted negligence by the selection body and caused financial loss to Biman.

Captain Shah Nasimul Awwal also failed his initial route check (IRC). Like his co-recruits, he was previously released by Etihad Airways in 2020 and did not meet the legal flying hour requirement for the previous two years. Despite this, he was recruited and currently flies as a captain on a Boeing 777.

The probe body found Biman Bangladesh Airlines lacks an "independent policy" for directly recruiting captains and first officers.

It advocated for guidelines for contractual pilot recruitment, ensuring consistency with Biman's operations manual and approved career plan.

In response to the probe report, Biman Bangladesh Airlines submitted an explanation to the HC on 7 May this year.

Biman claims no irregularities occurred during the recruitment of 14 pilots and considers the issue settled.

The national flag carrier said the board approved the recruitment of eight captains and six first officers.

Biman's statement defended Captain Sazid Ahmed's actions, arguing he had no malicious intent when contacting pilots abroad before the advertisement's publication.

They justify not requiring a "type rating" for the Boeing 777 by claiming it would be difficult to find suitably qualified crew.

Biman also argued that including the requirement of 300 flying hours in the previous two years for first officers would have deterred applications. They further claimed that 2,000 hours of flying experience is not mandatory for contract pilots.

Regarding Sadia Ahmed and Al Mehedi Islam, Biman's statement mentioned that they did not request academic certificates. It is not their responsibility to verify the source disciplines of their SSC and HSC certificates.

Advocate Tanvir Ahmed, who filed the writ petition seeking a probe into the irregularities, told The Financial Express that the ministry's investigation clearly indicates corruption during pilot recruitment.

In a separate development, Captain Sazid Ahmed also sought to join the case as a party. The HC accepted his petition and requested him to submit a sworn statement (affidavit) within two weeks as the hearing has been adjourned until 29 May this year.

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