Dhaka – The government filed a case against nine persons allegedly responsible for technical glitch that caused emergency landing of a national airlines’ flight carrying Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Turkmenistan last month, officials said.

The case, lodged with Airport police station, was transferred to the Counter-Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit of Dhaka Metropolitan Police for investigation, officer Noor-e-Azam said.

Wing Commander (retd) MM Asaduzzaman, director (maintenance and engineering) of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, filed the case on charge with negligence of duties and suspected sabotage, the officer said.

The authorities accused Debesh Chowdhury, chief engineer (production); SA Siddique, chief engineer (quality assurance); Billal Hossain, principal engineer; engineers SM Rokonuzaman, Samiul Haque, Lutfor Rahman, Milon Chandra Biswas and Zakir Hossain and technician Siddiqur Rahman.

A special flight of the airlines made emergency landing in Turkmenistan with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her entourage on board as she was on way to Budapest on November 27.

The engineers found nuts of the one of the engines of the Boeing 777 were loose that caused quick dropping of fuel. The plane landed Ashkhabad of Turkmenistan and flew to Budapest four after it made the emergency landing.

Panels investigated the technical faults have apparently failed to sum up whether the glitches were meant for an “act of sabotage or not”.

Rashed Khan Menon, minister for civil aviation and tourism, came up with the information after three investigation committees submitted their findings Sunday saying the “glitches were man-made.”

He said his ministry needs further review to determine whether it was an act of sabotage.

“Appropriate actions in line with the law will be taken,” the minister said adding that nine persons were suspended over the technical glitch. The nine were charged for the incident.

Biman authorities in a statement on November 30 said it had suspended six officials of engineering and technical department due to their negligence to duty. Three more persons were made off-duty later.

newsnextbd.com/n