Corruption, Abuse and ImpunityHidden crime and criminals in Biman Bangladesh Airlines exposed

A chilling exposé detailing alleged crimes, corruption, and systemic abuse within Biman Bangladesh Airlines has surfaced through a 52-minute and 30-second video, which journalist Zulkarnain Saer claims to have received from a hacker collective identifying itself as “Anonymous Global South”.

Saer, who shared the video on his verified Facebook profile, said the group sent him what it describes as evidence-backed revelations of serious irregularities involving Biman officials across different tiers.

“They have also provided several pieces of evidence in support of the authenticity of the claims, which have been verified against the described incidents,” he wrote.

The catalyst: A tragic whistle-blower

The group’s investigation reportedly began with an email sent two years ago by a female employee of Biman.

According to the video, she had detailed the harassment and mental trauma she had endured within the airline. The message nearly went unnoticed. When Anonymous operatives attempted to contact her, it was too late. She had disappeared—her silence becoming permanent.

The group claims her departure shattered them and ultimately became the trigger for what they now describe as a reckoning. What started as an attempt to track one man allegedly responsible for her trauma soon revealed a wider pattern of abuse and silence that pervades the national airline.

Pilot recruitment fraud and nepotism

One of the most glaring examples of systemic corruption in Biman, according to the exposé, was a pilot recruitment scandal that unfolded between 2019 and 2020.

The collective claims that scores were artificially boosted with unearned grace marks—raising the passing tally from just four to thirty-two candidates. Those who allegedly benefited now fly passenger aircraft purchased with public funds.

In 2022, the problem allegedly deepened when Captain Sajid Ahmed, then chief of training, leaked recruitment advertisements early to favoured candidates. Requirements were reportedly slashed, and even a forged degree was used to induct his own wife, Sadia Ahmed. Although her licence was eventually revoked, the financial damage had already been done.

Another figure, Captain Ishtiak Hossain, is accused of misusing state funds during travel to London and leveraging political connections to get his son appointed.

Several others were named in similar claims of nepotism. The video describes this network as a “disease” of cronyism and unethical privilege.

Smuggling and cargo cartel

The report accuses Biman of being transformed into a “flying cargo cartel.” Between 2013 and 2015 alone, over 756 kilograms of gold were reportedly discovered onboard Biman flights.

According to Anonymous, these were only the shipments that got caught. They allege that gold smuggling has become a weekly affair, often appearing in newspapers and on social media with alarming frequency.

In 2020, a cargo flight was caught carrying 12.32 kg of amphetamines to Australia. The video further alleges that a Biman official named Shawqat Ali was arrested in March this year for facilitating the trafficking ring of Mohamed Fakhruddin, who was allegedly using Biman crew IDs and forged boarding passes to smuggle people through Libya.

Despite these incidents, the group claims key officials, such as the GM of Cargo Rashedel Karim, faced no serious investigation. On the contrary, Karim has reportedly been promoted twice and now serves as director of customer services.

Harassment, abuse and impunity

Anonymous claims that under Karim’s tenure, the response to sexual harassment complaints was both inadequate and protectionist.

A case of mid-flight sexual harassment against a female passenger was reportedly resolved with nothing more than a demotion for the accused.

Internally, the video claims, harassment complaints by female crew members were buried, and victims were often punished or silenced.

A particularly damning figure reveals that nine of the airline’s 15 female pilots—amounting to 60%—have reportedly filed formal complaints citing harassment, abuse, or intimidation.

None of these cases, the group alleges, saw appropriate action from the airline or its pilot association. Instead, the complaints were buried and those responsible protected.

According to the hackers, Biman’s recurring claim of a “crew shortage” is a veil to protect the alleged perpetrators, many of whom are politically connected or part of influential unions.

Individual predators named

The report does not stop at general allegations—it names names. Among the accused are pilots, first officers, stewards and flight pursers. The exposé describes in detail how some male officials allegedly harassed or assaulted female staff through messages, late-night calls, physical abuse, or blackmail.

One figure repeatedly mentioned is Captain Abdur Ramen, who is accused not only of forging his pilot licence but of manipulating and blackmailing female colleagues by using fake intelligence agency identities.

Another pilot, Captain Rabi, allegedly called young female staff late at night under the pretext of needing help, while Captain Imran is said to have used false claims of separation from his wife to emotionally lure female colleagues.

Captain Yusuf Mahmood is accused of groping female staff mid-flight and making crude jokes. Other names include Captain Sohail, who allegedly terrorised female staff with repeated hotel calls; First Officer Shafi, who reportedly made threats using his claimed ties to intelligence; and Captain Arifin, who was accused of inappropriate touching on board.

The video further claims that harassment complaints against some of these individuals were dismissed by “fake committees” and that many of them continue to fly under the justification of pilot shortages.

Stewards and flight pursers: ‘Monsters in uniform’

The allegations extend beyond the cockpit. Several male flight stewards and pursers are accused of rape, physical abuse, stalking, and psychological manipulation.

One steward, Shopnil, is described as a serial rapist whose name allegedly came up in multiple testimonies. Another, Adnan, is accused of sexually assaulting a female colleague during an international layover.

Steward Sakin is said to have used emotional manipulation and physical threats to control a female colleague. Others such as flight purser Suman and steward Shishir are named in incidents ranging from attempted rape to distribution of obscene videos.

According to the collective, many of these men continue to serve, fly, and occupy positions of authority, protected by union leadership and a culture of enforced silence.

Evidence retained, victims shielded

While the group claims to have collected audio clips, video recordings, photos and emails as proof, it has not made them public, citing concern for the safety and privacy of the victims. Anonymous says it will release this evidence only if an independent, impartial judicial committee is formed in Bangladesh with adequate guarantees for anonymity and victim protection.

They allege that in Bangladesh, shame often becomes a more severe punishment for victims than the crime itself. Several women pleaded with them not to release incriminating footage or photos, fearing professional and personal ruin.

The group ends its video with a promise: that the full truth will eventually be made public. They claim to have encrypted and legally time-stamped testimonies from victims and whistle-blowers, one of whom they described as a woman “once hopeful, now destroyed” by an officer she initially trusted. Her story, the group says, remains sealed, awaiting justice.

A call for reckoning

Anonymous Global South closes the video with a call for justice—not spectacle. It says that the time for silence is over, and the names of alleged predators will no longer be buried. The group makes clear that its mission is not to chase scandal, but to protect the innocent and expose systemic rot. It concludes with a grim warning: this is no longer an investigation—it is a reckoning, and it has only just begun.