The outgoing Managing Director & CEO of the state run Biman Bangladesh Airlines, Kevin Steele, is likely to stay with Biman for couple of months more although he was supposed to leave the organisation at the end of the next week.
Steele will stay with the organisation until Biman finds a successor to replace him as the process has been started.
“The Biman Board has requested the present managing director to continue in his job for some months,” Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon told UNB over telephone.
He also said that Steele has mentioned certain conditions to the Biman Board for continuing in his job.
The Minister said that a subcommittee of Biman is now working to find a new MD for the airliner and they held a couple of meeting in this connection.
Civil Aviation and Tourism secretary Khurshed Alam Chowdhury is leading the four-member subcommittee.
Contacted over e-mail, Biman MD Kevin Steele said he has been given the offer to continue in his job for some more time until the airliner finds his successor.
In the e-mail, he said that he reluctantly resigned on health grounds back in December, giving four (4) months’ notice to find a successor although his contract only stipulates three (3) months’ notice.
“I have to reduce my workload for health reasons; so, I am due to leave at the end of next week. However, to help Biman in the interim period, I have said that I will continue on a part time basis for 2-3 months, until a successor is found.”
Steele said that he currently works 70-80 hours a week, which is dangerous for his health.
He also said: “Biman Board is of course free to accept or reject my suggestions as they see fit.”
In January, Kevin John Steele resigned as the chief executive officer (CEO) and managing director of Biman Bangladesh Airlines on health ground.
The Board of Directors of Biman has accepted his resignation couple of weeks back with effect from April 17.
Steele, who was appointed the CEO and MD of Biman in March 2013 for a two-year term, suffered tuberculosis and a mild heart attack after coming to Bangladesh, according to Biman Bangladesh Airlines sources.
For the first time in the history of Biman, Kevin Steele, a foreign national, joined the national carrier on March 13, at a monthly salary of Tk 18.3 lakh.
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The British national has also been provided with a flat in a posh area of capital Dhaka to stay, transport facilities and 12 free business-class tickets a year.
Source: UNBConnect
