PM plane glitch was man-made: minister

In a sensational disclosure, Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon yesterday said the problem in the aircraft, which was carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina abroad on November 27 last year, might have been a ‘man-made technical glitch’.Three probe reports in this regard, already handed over to the prime minister, suggested it to be purposefully created fault in the aircraft (Boeing 777-300 ER) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, he said.The Hungary-bound plane had to make an emergency landing in Turkmenistan due to, what the authorities immediately claimed, technical glitch.The minister was replying to a question from media about the PM’s recent comment that it was a deep-rooted conspiracy.“It is not our duty to find out whether it was a sabotage or not and a part of an attempt to murder,” he said. “Rather, it is the home ministry to find out the actual reason.”Inaugurating a lounge at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), Menon said that the country’s civil aviation could not avail various facilities as it could not develop the airport security at an expected level.“All the airports across the world have been suffering from safety hazards and falling under significant surveillance,” he said, adding that aviation security has got new dimension and Bangladesh could not improve in all the areas. “It has deprived Bangladesh aviation industry from many facilities it was supposed to get.”But in a recent report of ICAO, the minister said, the HSIA has scored more than the average point – 77.4 – of airport safety in this region. Also the ongoing joint assessment by the UK Department of Transport and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has been good so far, he added. “We are moving towards a favourable situation gradually.”He pointed out that the HSIA infrastructure has limitation in providing all the facilities. The expansion process of HSIA was going on and will be opened in 2019, he added.The annual passenger growth at HSIA has been 18% and cargo 10%.