‘No US Pressure For Boeing Deal’? Top Bangladesh Lawyer Wants Govt, Biman Airlines To Prove It

After two ministers of Tarique Rahman’s cabinet — Humaiun Kobir and Rashiduzzaman Millat — gave two conflicting views on whether there was US pressure on Dhaka for signing the Boeing deal, a leading Supreme Court lawyer of the country has thrown a wrench into Bangladesh’s biggest-ever aircraft purchase, serving legal notice on the country’s top bureaucrats and Biman Bangladesh Airlines bosses. He has asked a simple question: who signed off on a 3.7 billion Boeing deal, and why didn’t the public get a say? Barrister MMG Sarwar isn’t trying to kill the deal — at least not yet. He just wants proof that the rules were followed. In a sharply worded notice fired off Monday, he told the Cabinet Secretary, the Civil Aviation and Finance Secretaries,

and Biman’s Chairman and CEO that spending billions of public money on 14 new jets demands more than a handshake and a press release. Here’s what’s got people talking. Back on April 30, Biman reportedly inked an agreement with Boeing to buy 14 planes: eight fancy 787-10 Dreamliners, two smaller 787-9s, and four 737 MAX aircraft. The price tag? A cool 3.7 billion. Media outlets billed it as the largest fleet expansion in Biman’s history. But somewhere between the champagne toasts and the headlines, Sarwar says, the public was left in the dark. The notice drops another bombshell. Just two days ago, on 5 September, EU Ambassador Michael Miller reportedly urged the government to give Airbus a serious look and ensure a “level playing field”. That raises an awkward question: Did Biman and the government actually compare Boeing’s offer with Airbus’s, or was this a done deal from the start? Sarwar wants to know if anyone bothered to shop around before committing what amounts to a small country’s GDP on a single brand. Could there be US pressure? Bangladesh Civil Aviation Minister Rashiduzzaman says, yes. “If we do not learn from the way Sheikh Hasina left the country, the consequences will be bad for everyone. None of us wants, in any way, a repetition of what happened in the past,” the Minister was quoted by Bangladesh’s Bengali daily ‘Samakal’. “(US President) Donald Trump had a request for Prime Minister Tarique Rahman — that their Boeing aircraft be used. We are buying and using them. We are purchasing 14 Boeing aircraft, and some additional aircraft will also be taken on lease,” he said recently. However, State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir dismissed any US pressure on the deal. Asked whether Dhaka was buying under pressure from Washington, he responded with, “No, not because of any pressure.” Sarwar’s argument is pretty straightforward. When you’re playing with taxpayer money, you can’t skip the fine print. Bangladesh has laws for this — the Constitution, the Public Procurement Act of 2006, and the Public Procurement Rules of 2008. Together, they say: if you’re spending public funds, you need competitive bidding, clear documentation, independent feasibility checks, and proof that the purchase is actually necessary. The notice claims none of that has been shown to the public. “That therefore, in view of the substantial financial magnitude of the reported transaction, the competent authorities ought to have before them a properly documented and independently supportable assessment”, in other words, the authorities have been asked to lay bare approvals, feasibility studies, financing plans, and any other commitments lurking in the background with reference to the Airline and the Boeing deal. Sarwar has given seven days’ time. And if they ignore him? Sarwar says he’ll march straight to the High Court and file a writ petition, asking judges for judicial review.