State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali on Tuesday said the ministry does not have the jurisdiction to waive Tk 3,449 crore in surcharge Biman Bangladesh Airlines owes to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
“In such cases, only the finance ministry holds the authority. If they want, Biman will obtain the waiver,” he told reporters after a programme at the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka.
The civil aviation ministry had recently requested CAAB to waive the surcharge, but the agency turned down the request and sought the ministry’s help to collect all the dues, including the surcharge, from the national flag carrier.
Changing the subject, Mahbub said coordination is a must between private and state-owned airlines over setting plane fares. “Air travel should have reasonable fares.”
About the job recruitment question paper leak, he said the matter is under investigation and strict action will be taken against those involved.
The state minister also talked about the security clearance issue of Biman’s head of security and three cabin crew members who left Bangladesh for London on November 11 to bring home President Abdul Hamid.
However, the president’s security detail later found out that the four lacked the security clearance required to board his return flight to Dhaka.
“The SSF deals with such matters. But we will look into the matter as well. In case of any negligence, action will be taken accordingly,” Mahbub told reporters.
