Dhaka – Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Saturday ruled out the possibility of procuring any special aircraft for her safer journeys saying there is no scope in Bangladesh to go for such luxury at this moment.
“Any scope of showing luxury of having dedicated aircraft for President and Prime Minister is yet to come here for our country. It’s not necessary. I myself even don’t want it,” she said. -UNB
The Prime Minister said this when her comment was sought on procuring special aircraft for her safety at a press conference at her official residence Gonobhaban.
Hasina said she walks with common people and she does politics taking people with her. “If I don’t feel secure while travelling through the aircraft used by our people, what is the benefit of having separate aircraft?”
The VVIP Biman aircraft carrying the Prime Minister to Hungary had developed a technical glitch and made an emergency landing in Turkmenistan raising her personal security concern.
The Boeing 777 which was carrying the Prime Minister and entourage had to make the emergency landing at Ashgabat Airport on November 27 for low lubricant oil pressure.
After four hours of repair and a test run, the plane carrying the Prime Minister went to Hungary where she attended the Budapest Water Summit 2016.
Following the incident, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said the government will procure an executive aircraft for the travel of the President and the Prime Minister.
Describing the emergency landing of Biman’s VVIP flight carrying her as an accident due to a technical glitch, Hasina said, “There could be an accident any time, this is not a matter. There might be some technical glitches, probe committees have been formed, they’ll investigate it,” she said.
“An accident may take place any time, can you see the accident in Brazil where a plane crashed with football players… so accident is accident,” she said adding that there is nothing to be so much worried.
Replying to another question about airport security, the Prime Minister said the government has taken appropriate measures following complaints by two countries over the matter.
