No room for negligence in national security: Professor Dr. Shahab Enam Khan

A technical fault in the Biman Bangladesh aircraft carrying Prime Minister Mr. Tarique Rahman delayed the flight just before he returned from Japan. Professor Shahab Enam Khan is an international relations analyst and a professor in the Department of International Relations at Jahangirnagar University. He said the matter should not be taken lightly. He called for a full inquiry into every step of aircraft maintenance, engineering management and flight planning. In his view, no lapse in safety and compliance is acceptable for the head of government and the national flag carrier.

The fault occurred on Biman Bangladesh flight BG 377, which carried the Prime Minister and his team. The flight was due to leave Japan at 6 pm local time the day before yesterday but was delayed. Crew and engineers worked to find and fix the fault. No details were given about the type of fault or when it was found.

Professor Khan said technical faults can happen in aviation at any time. But because such incidents have happened before, they cannot be treated as normal and ignored. He said not only the fault but also maintenance, engineering work, logistics and the whole flight operation need review. He said no conclusion should be drawn before an inquiry.

Assessing the Prime Minister’s Japan visit, he said Bangladesh’s economy and geopolitics cannot be seen apart in the current global situation. Supply chains, energy security, transport and international trade are tied directly to geopolitical realities. So efforts to boost cooperation with Japan should be judged against Bangladesh’s economic growth and long term interests. He said Japanese investors weigh bureaucratic delays, political uncertainty, weak infrastructure, energy supply and legal protection. Top level meetings may reach agreement on investment, but these hurdles appear when projects start. So turning investment promises into real economic activity is the big challenge for Bangladesh.

He named the industrial and infrastructure plan for the Bay of Bengal around Matarbari as another key area of cooperation with Japan. In his view, it may help make Bangladesh a centre of regional connectivity and trade. But he said it must be made clear what direct economic benefit Bangladesh would gain from linking India’s north east. He said links with Myanmar and Southeast Asia can also be considered.

He said regional cooperation needs mutual benefit, transparency and accountability. He said the real cause of the technical fault must be found through an inquiry so steps can be taken to avoid such situations in future.