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Biman's overseas bungling

Airline loses Tk 1.5cr on outstanding bills, illegal travel allowance

RAFIQ HASAN
Nine overseas stations of Biman Bangladesh Airlines lost Tk 1.45 crore to outstanding dues with general sales agents, illegal travel allowance and unauthorised funds to staffers.
The stations in Jeddah, Riyadh, Tokyo, Bangkok, Brussels, New York, Frankfurt, Abu Dhabi and Kathmandu also drained public funds in additional entertainment bills, house rents, medical allowance and utility bills, says a recent audit report.
"We are taking action against the Biman officials and employees, based on audit reports," State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin told The Daily Star yesterday.
The officials accused of misuse and waste of funds had been withdrawn, he said. A team under a joint secretary of the civil aviation ministry visited the London station and reduced the ground-handling charge 30 per cent, which saves at least Tk 2 crore a year, he added. The team will also visit all other overseas stations and submit a report on the allegations of financial corruption and mismanagement.
The Biman Jeddah office failed to realise an overdue amount of Tk 1.29 crore from M/s Arine Travels after expiry of an agreement with the agent.
The stations in Tokyo, Bangkok, Brussels and Riyadh wasted Tk 5.24 lakh in illegal travel allowance in October and December in 1996 and February in 1999.
The New York, Frankfurt, Abu Dhabi, Brussels and Jeddah stations spent Tk 3.43 lakh on unauthorised day allowance, overseas stay allowance and entertainment bills.
The Jeddah station lost Tk 1.21 lakh to travel allowance to the employees appointed temporarily for Hajj duty. Government rules say the employees appointed on a temporary basis are not eligible for travel allowance.
Biman paid US$5,000 (about Tk 3 lakh) in compensation for damage to a house rented by the country manager in Brussels, as the homeowner filed a case against the airlines.
The stations in Bangkok and Riyadh spent Tk 60,662 on buying bottled water for staffers, although they were to bear the cost themselves.
The Abu Dhabi station paid Tk 47,705 in power, water and gas bills for its country manager's house. According to the Biman service regulations 1979, such bills should not be paid from Biman funds.
SEE PAGE 11 COL 3 FROM PAGE 1
The Kathmandu station spent beyond authorisation Tk 37,519 on treatment of the employees in May 1998. A station manager in New York took Tk 10,453 in additional house rents. Another manager of the same station drew additional outstation bills and withdrew money from provident funds and employees' welfare funds without approval, the audit report says. He took Tk 3.09 lakh in total.