The Bangladeshi parliament (Jatiya Sangsad) is reinstating legislation from 1972, albeit with amendments, that regulates the governance and management of Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka).
The draft Bangladesh Biman Corporation (repeal) Bill 2023 was passed on September 11 and seeks to reinstate the Bangladesh Biman Order 1972 and repeals the Bangladesh Biman Corporation Ordinance, 1977, which the then military government enacted. The incumbent government says the 1977 legislation is no longer needed because Biman Bangladesh is now a public limited company. The new legislation governing the state-owned carrier will be known as the Bangladesh Biman (Repealed Bangladesh Biman Order, 1972 Reinstatement and Amendment) Act, 2023
The Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism, Mahbub Ali, said the updated legislation will result in a more efficient airline and details procedures for appointing and terminating directors, boards, and management agency agreements. The new legislation also facilitates amendments of memorandum or articles of association or any charter, including those to "reflect the principles and ideals of the (incumbent) government."
Unsuccessfully challenging the proposed draft bill, which the parliament passed by a voice vote, opposition parliamentarians said the new legislation contained anomalies and would be subject to court challenges. The draft bill now goes to a parliamentary standing committee for 30 days for examination.
The Bangladeshi government, via the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, owns 208,240,958 shares in Biman Bangladesh Airlines, with the Government of Bangladesh Cabinet Division; the Ministry of Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources; the Ministry of Finance; the Ministry of Foreign Affairs; Ministry of Commerce, and Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism all owning one share each.
