Gold smuggling: Biman suspends cabin crew

Staff Reporter :

Biman Bangladesh Airlines has temporarily suspended a senior cabin crew member, Rudaba Sultana, over allegations of smuggling gold under the guise of being on official flight duty.
A senior Biman official confirmed on Thursday that Sultana was suspended on Tuesday following the incident.

According to airport and airline sources, the allegation surfaced on 4 August when Sultana, assigned to duty on Biman flight BG-340 from Riyadh, arrived at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in the afternoon.

While passing through the Green Channel, customs officials became suspicious of her behaviour.
Witnesses said she discreetly discarded a tissue paper hidden inside her clothing and attempted to conceal it beneath the scanning machine with her foot.

Upon inspection, customs officials recovered two 24-carat gold chains weighing a total of 230 grams from inside the tissue paper. The items were seized as illegal goods.
Dr. Md. Shafiqul Rahman, Managing Director and CEO of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, confirmed the suspension, stating:

“A senior cabin crew member, Rudaba Sultana, has been suspended on charges of gold smuggling. During her suspension, she will receive subsistence allowance and must report regularly to Biman’s head office. There will be zero tolerance for corruption. Several others have also been dismissed in previous incidents.”
The case remains under investigation.