Photo: Collected
Biman Bangladesh Airlines issued a cadet pilot recruitment notice on April 29, seemingly against civil aviation acts. However, concerns have been raised regarding discrepancies between the qualifications outlined in this recruitment circular and Biman's operational manual.
It has been found that the recruitment notification issued by Biman Bangladesh Airlines not only contradicts the airline's operational manual but also goes against the eligibility criteria outlined in the Bangladesh Civil Aviation Act 1984, specifically Act 24(b). According to this act, candidates applying to be pilots at Biman must have passed their Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) with Physics and Mathematics, or hold an equivalent education certificate issued by the Bangladesh Education Board.
Furthermore, this requirement is explicitly stated in section 2.1.4.7.3(1) of Biman's Operational Manual (OMA), yet it appears to have been overlooked in the recently published recruitment circular, raising concerns about its omission.
Additionally, the employment circular released by Biman states that applicants must indicate their English medium level but it does not request an equivalent education certificate issued by the Bangladesh Education Board. However, Roman numeral 2 of section 1 requests a GED for Roman numeral 3A. If a student has studied in an English medium institution, they must obtain an equivalent education certificate from the Bangladesh Education Board. For instance, the Bangladesh Education Board does not issue educational certificates for GED as they do not meet the curriculum standards of the Bangladesh HSC syllabus. Moreover, the Bangladesh Education Board does not issue education certificates to students who receive less than a D grade at this level.
A senior official of Biman, who preferred anonymity, revealed that the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh has been granting licenses to pilots without adhering to the educational qualification regulations. According to this official, the recruitment notification is not in violation of any rules. However, they noted that despite the discrepancies with the Civil Aviation Act, authorities have remained silent on the matter. This official further expressed concern over the prevalence of irregularities in airlines appointments, suggesting that senior officers may be turning a blind eye to these issues.
When contacted regarding this issue, Shafiul Azim, the Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, abruptly ended the call without providing a statement to the reporter. Consequently, his stance on the matter remains unknown.
Aviation expert Ashish Roy Chowdhury commented on the issue, stating that allowing applicants with a C grade in A level to apply without requiring an equivalent education certificate from the Bangladesh Education Board constitutes an irregularity and goes against aviation laws. He emphasised the importance of adhering to Rule 24 (b) of Civil Aviation Rule 84, which mandates specific educational qualifications. Chowdhury warned that appointments made in violation of these regulations could be subject to cancellation upon audit. Therefore, he stressed the necessity of supervising civil aviation authorities to ensure compliance with established protocols.
CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mofidur Rahman, when approached by reporters, stated, "I am not aware of the matter." He emphasised that appropriate action would be taken if any violations of the law were found upon investigation.
Messenger/Fameema
