Biman Bangladesh Airlines has come under criticism after excluding one of its own crew members from a ceremony that honoured the team behind the safe emergency landing of flight BG-436, which lost a landing wheel shortly after departing Cox’s Bazar last Friday.
In a hurriedly arranged event on Monday at Balaka Bhaban, Biman’s headquarters in Dhaka, crests were handed to captain JSM M Billah, first officer Zayed Tazim, and cabin crew Mohammad Jamal Uddin Arian. The awards were presented by Aviation and Tourism Affairs Adviser Sheikh Bashir Uddin, according to a Biman press statement.
Conspicuously missing from the honours list was flight stewardess Khadiza Sultana Shimu, one of the youngest crew members on board who reportedly faced her career first in-flight emergency during the incident.
Shimu, who joined Biman only a year ago, was reassigned to a Dammam-bound flight the very next day without having any physical or physiological impact assessment of the incident on her, an official at the airlines told Times of Bangladesh.
When asked whether any medical or psychological assessment was carried out for crew members involved in the emergency, a Biman official admitted none were conducted.
General Manager of Public Relations ABM Rawshan Kabir later clarified that usually the crew members are subject to remain under observation for 24 hours to 48 hours after such emergency flight as per the safety protocols.
The cockpit crew remained under observation, he said. Cabin crew are typically subject to self-assessment unless physically injured, added the Biman spokesman.
The omission of Shimu and the hasty ceremony have sparked internal criticism. Some insiders have questioned whether the event was arranged to distract from ongoing concerns about Biman’s aircraft maintenance practices.
They also pointed out the lack of a public statement addressing the trauma experienced by passengers during the 50-minute ordeal during the travel from the southern tourist district of Cox’s Bazar to the capital Dhaka.
On Friday, flight BG-436, carrying 71 passengers including an infant and four crew members, safely landed at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport after the right landing wheel detached mid-air.
The control tower in Cox’s Bazar declared an emergency, prompting high-alert protocols in Dhaka.
Biman has launched two separate investigations, one led by its Chief of Flight Safety and another by the Directorate of Engineering and Material Management. Both panels are reviewing the cause of the failure and maintenance logs, with reports expected within three working days.
Preliminary findings suggest a bearing failure may have caused the wheel to dislodge. The aircraft, a Dash-8 Q400 manufactured by De Havilland Canada, is now grounded pending inspection.
Biman has contacted the manufacturer for technical support and initiated checks on all Dash-8 aircraft in its fleet. Five out of 21 aircrafts of Biman fleet are Dash-8.
Globally, 59 wheel-related incidents involving Dash-8 Q400 aircraft were recorded between 2013 and 2017. Aviation experts note that while the aircraft has redundant landing gear systems, such incidents warrant rigorous follow-up.
