Biman yesterday put back on duty the four pilots, suspended on October 26 on grounds of flight safety, two days after the pilots of the national carrier called off a strike on Friday.
“We withdrew these pilots from duty on grounds of flight safety. We have reinstated them since everything has become normal,” Muhammad Zakiul Islam, managing director and chief executive officer of Biman, said over the phone.
Their names were put on duty roster yesterday, he said.
The airline suspended the pilots on Wednesday after three of them took part in an agitation last week demanding cancellation of a Biman decision.
Of them, Capt Zakir Hussain is acting president of Bangladesh Airline Pilots’ Association (Bapa), Capt MA Basit Mahtab its general secretary and Capt Maqsood Ahmed and Capt Mahbub are members of the organisation that represents 115 pilots.
Capt Maqsood Ahmed said he had been put back on flight duty. “I am going to fly at 12.30 am today,” he said.
Bapa called off strike on Friday night after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina assured them of considering their demands.
The pilots had been protesting against a Biman decision to increase their retirement age from 57 to 62 years leaving them conditionally out of insurance and rehabilitation benefits during the extended period of service.
Biman insiders said the airline is unwilling to give the pilots such benefits during the extended period since the risks of unfitness of the pilots go up with their age.
Bapa launched a protest programme on October 22 demanding withdrawal of the Biman decision.
The pilots went on strike on Wednesday after the airline authority served show cause notices to a number of pilots and suspended four pilots from flight duty.
The strike forced Biman to cancel nearly 20 flights and spend on accommodation for stranded passengers, Biman officials said.
