Biman forms probe committee over PM’s delayed Japan flight

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has formed a four-member committee to investigate a technical glitch that delayed a flight carrying Prime Minister Tarique Rahman and his entourage from Japan.

An office order signed by Biman Director (Administration and Human Resources) Neyamul Kabir on Friday announced the committee.

The chief of planning and scheduling will head the team, while the manager of legal affairs will serve as its member secretary.

The other members are the chief engineer of engineering production and the deputy chief of flight safety.

The committee may co-opt any other Biman official if necessary, according to the order.

The technical fault was detected on Biman flight BG 377, operating on the Narita-Dhaka route, on Thursday. Tarique travelled to Japan on Oct 26 for a four-day official visit.

The flight was due to leave for Dhaka at 6pm local time on Thursday after the visit, but the fault delayed it by nearly five hours, and the prime minister and other passengers had to wait in the airport lobby.

The committee must submit its report within four working days to Biman’s managing director and chief executive officer.

Its terms of reference include identifying the exact cause and nature of the fault detected before the aircraft took off from Narita airport.

It will also review the steps taken to detect and fix the problem and ensure the aircraft was fit to fly.

The team will assess the impact of the incident on the flight delay, additional operating costs, passenger inconvenience and Biman’s institutional reputation.

It will also determine whether negligence, poor coordination or procedural lapses played a role and assign responsibility where necessary.

The committee will make recommendations to prevent similar incidents in future.