The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) suspended five of its employees out of 23 officials identified, for negligence in duty during the alleged aircraft hijack attempt of Biman Bangladesh Airlines at Chattogram airport on February 24.
Meanwhile, after extending the deadline for submitting probe report for two days initially, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry is likely to extend the time for seven more days to get a complete report based on proper investigations, according to the ministry sources.
When contacted, Civil Aviation and Tourism Secretary Mohibul Haque on Monday confirmed the development to this correspondent.
He, however, couldn't elaborate the progress in the probe and about the suspended employees.
Mohibul said that the deadline for submitting the report of the probe committee, formed to investigate the incident led by ministry's Additional Secretary Md Mokabbir Hossain, has been extended for seven more working days.
"The report submission deadline was extended for two days till Tuesday. As per the new deadline, the investigation committee will have to submit its report by March 14," he added.
According to the ministry and CAAB sources, five persons were suspended for negligence in their duties initially. They are- CAAB staffs scanning operator and security supervisor Lehaj Uddin Bhauiyan and Yunus Hawlader, Ansar members scanning gate operator Alim Hossain, body searcher Mahfuzur Rahman and Saddam Hossain.
At the same time, the authority has sent back Air Force Sergeant Sayedul Islam, who was on duty that time, to his parent unit withdrawing him from his duty.
The sources said the authority has identified its 23 officials and employees, who were on duty during the boarding on the aircraft at February 24 evening. The authority has started checking the closed circuit (CC) camera footages of the boarding period to find out their movements.
On February 25, Civil Aviation Ministry formed a five-member probe committee headed by the ministry's Additional Secretary Md Mokabbir Hossain to investigate the incident.
The Boeing 737-800 aircraft of Biman made an emergency landing at Chattogram Shah Amanat International Airport on February 24 evening after a Polash Ahmed, a passenger of the flight, allegedly attempted to hijack the plane. He was killed later in a para-commando operation.
