National News Service, Dhaka, Friday, September, 03, 2004
Biman to close down office in Kolkata
NNS from Dhaka: the state-owned Biman Bangladesh Airlines has begun winding up of its loss-making external wings as preparation to privatise the flag carrier in phases. In a recent move, the airline has decided to close its Kolkata office to minimise losses that it has been incurring over the last few years. The authorities will soon appoint a general sales agent for Biman in Kolkata, said local daily, The New Age quoting a top official of the civil aviation ministry. The government has also agreed in principle to wind up some more loss-making foreign offices soon, the newspaper added.
According to The local daily’s report, the decision comes when a local private airline — GMG — is set to start its international operation to Kolkata on September 8. Ministry officials said the move had no links with the GMG operation. Industry insiders said it was the beginning of the phase-out programme for Biman.
Earlier, the government decided to hand over ground handling operation, currently managed by Biman, to Thai Airways as the state-owned corporation could not perform satisfactorily. During the last few months, Biman also cut down 25 per cent of its staff stationed in different foreign offices.
Although the government has failed to find a strategic partner to sell 40 per cent share of the airline it has been trying to restructure Biman for privatisation by changing flight schedules, cutting overseas staff and improving passenger service since 2000.
Biman incurred a loss of Tk 61.20 crore in the 2003 fiscal, despite its claim that the national flag carrier had saved a huge amount of money reducing its expenses.
The 25 per cent reduction in manpower helped save about Tk 2 crore, the newspaper said.
Bangladesh Govt on alert as more bomb attacks feared
NNS from Dhaka: Bangladesh government Thursday worked out counter-terror moves after intelligence agents said an unknown terrorist outfit may have been planning to explode potent bombs in public places in Dhaka. State Minister for Home Lutfozzaman Babar held an emergency meeting with the top officials of intelligence agencies, Dhaka Metropolitan Police and the Rapid Action Battalion (Rab) to work out the steps, said local daily The Daily Star quoting the Home Ministry officials.
Earlier, intelligence said the operatives of the outfit were planning to bomb private universities, other educational institutions, hospitals and shopping complexes.
An intelligence agency obtained an audiotape of the conversations of the outfit operatives about their blueprint. Copies of the audiotape were given to other security agencies and the police, the daily added.
The meeting decided to take both defensive and offensive measures to foil the plan and track down the terrorists.
The terror alert came 13 days after a series of grenade attacks on an Awami League rally on August 21 killed 19 people in the capital that came under sharp watch of international terrorism investigators.
More FBI agents may fly in, evidence sent to US
NNS from Dhaka: some more experts and officials of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) may soon fly in Dhaka to investigate the August 21 carnage, while FBI Special Agent Gibson Wilson yesterday sent the evidence to the US for laboratory tests.
A few more FBI officials having expertise in other related fields of investigation may arrive in Dhaka for a thorough inquiry of the grenade attack, said local daily The Daily Star quoting diplomatic sources. The FBI will submit a primary report to the government based on the test results.
Wilson, also a forensic expert who arrived on Wednesday, has focussed his investigation on the evidence he collected from the bulletproof sports utility vehicle of Shike Hasina, which was riddled with bullets and grenade shrapnel while carrying her to safety.
Two Interpol experts -- American Marash Vucilaj, a specialist on public safety and security, and Chinese Xin Hu, an expert on terrorism -- also flew in Dhaka on Wednesday to join their Interpol colleagues Jeffry Eyles, an expert on public safety and terrorism affairs, and Jacqueline Pullums, a US analyst of civilian terrorism.
The scheduled visit of Counter-Terrorism Coordinator of the US State Department Cofer Black on Sunday is 'very significant'. Black may discuss with the government about providing more US help to stop terrorist activities and deadly bomb attacks in Bangladesh and help it bring the culprits behind the incidents to justice, the newspaper added. Black, who had a long career with the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), is scheduled to meet Shike Hasina and Foreign Minister M Morshed Khan before leaving on Monday.
