Voluntary retirement awardees of Biman Bangladesh Airlines yesterday urged the government to reinstate them claiming that they were showed the exit-door against their will.

“Many of our colleagues pass miserable lives due to this Voluntary Retirement Scheme. What had been done in the name of VRS is really inhuman." said KM Shall Alam, convener of a committee for reinstatement of the Biman staff victimised by VRS

Alam, also president of Biman Sramik League, a labour front of ruling Awami League, made the statement at a press conference at Dhaka Reporters Unity, in presence of Biman's former employees, axed at the time of the national carrier's being a public limited company to infuse dynamism into the loss makingairline.

Seven members of the reinstatement committee were present on the occasion.

Before the carrier turned into a PLC in July, the former corporation Biman moved to trim its staff to about 3400 from 4706 aiming to cut costs and make the carrier a healthy and profitable organisation.

It slashed 1862 employees through VRS. Following this retrenchment, the total number of employees stood at2844.

"The scheme was implemented by forcing many of us to sign on printed forms. Many submitted their applications for VRS amid fear," said Alam, also a victim to the scheme.

“On the other hand, more than 1700 people were employed on contract and casual basis following the VRS." he said, describing the attempt as 'short-sighted, arbitrary and opaque.'

“If it is, what is the justification of VRS?" he questioned, figuring out the VRS awardees at 1862.

According to Alam, nearly 600 staff who were awarded VRS got contractual appointments later, while the rest were employed on casual basis to run activities of the 12-fleet carrier.

Alam also blamed the Biman's then management for disseminating misleading information. The labour leader claimed that the carrier's expenditure for salaries and allowances increased after the execution ofVRS.

“Biman's expenses reached Tk 5.31crore during the month before the implementation of VRS. But it almost doubled in February 2009. In April, Biman spent about Tk 17 crore," said Alam.

"We want to get our jobs back. It's painful to lose jobs and the way VRS was carried out is a crime against humanity," said SM Ikramullah, a former cabin crew of Biman.

VRS receiver employees also demanded punishment to those involved in the execution of the move. They also sought that the government implement the post- probe recommendations of the national coordination committee (task force) on serious crime, formed during the tenure of immediate past caretaker government.