Nasir holds talks with agitating Biman staff today
UNB, Dhaka
As a 72-hour ultimatum by agitating Bangladesh Biman staff expires at 6:00pm today, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mir Mohammad Nasiruddin sits with their leaders at 11:00am in the day in a bid to pacify them. "We hope that the minister will fulfil our demands, including withdrawal of the punitive measure against BG pilot Captain Nasim," union leader SM Belal Hossain said last night. To press their eight-point demand, a steering committee of eight organisations of Biman staff has been leading a movement for about a month. Captain Nasim, president of the Bangladesh Pilots Association, who was also in a movement, was grounded on October 21 by the aviation authorities, adding fuel to the fire. The demonstrating leaders alleged Captain Nasim was grounded for joining the movement, but the government said there was no relation between the movement and the grounding order. "He was grounded on health grounds," said Managing Director of Bangladesh Biman Lutfur Rahman. Meanwhile, the leaders of the protesters said they would go for a tougher movement if today's meeting with the state minister failed to sort out the problems.
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