Biman Bangladesh Airlines

It all started some 42 years ago, when the free people of our newly liberated country had, perhaps, looked up into the skies and imagined a dreamboat of their own which could fly them to faraway places. The hopes and aspirations of the peoples of Bangladesh gave birth to Biman—the wings that would carry them beyond the sunset. The dream came true on January 4 1972. The beautiful airline was born with a unique birthmark—the only one born without any aircraft or ancillary.The journey began with a DC-3 aircraft-an air force plane gifted to the new airline by the government. But the joy was short-lived. Before any service could begin, the aircraft crashed while on a training, flight. Biman was finally air borne on March 7, 1972 with flights to Chittagong and Sylhet and on March 9 to Jessore.
Absence of aircraft, ancillary facilities and a massive shortage of funds had a crippling effect on the newborn airline of a newborn country ravaged by war. Its struggle for survival and growth began right from the word 'go'. The many uncertainties along the way sometimes created an atmosphere casting an abject frustration. However, Biman fought hard to keep its nose up and overcome many adverse situations.

Indeed, it was the international operation of the airline which started first. On 4th March, three days before start of domestic operation, the first flight of Biman's international operation landed in Dhaka from London with 179 passengers on board. The aircraft used in the flight was a chartered one from British Caledonian.
It was not an auspicious beginning for a new airline of a war devastated country like Bangladesh. In the list of priorities for the resource hungry country, Biman began its international operations with flights to London and Calcutta and its domestic operations with flights to Chittagong, Sylhet, Jessore and Ishwardi. Four F-27s joined the fleet, enabling Biman to operate domestic services and an international service to Calcutta. Two of the F-27s were acquired from India and two from the Netherlands. One DC-6 was also leased for two months.The service to London continued with the chartered aircraf the position of an airline had to be far down the line. The highlights of Biman’s 42 years will actually not depict the agonies that the airline had to undergo, but will give an idea how the airline is surviving by charting a not so glamorous course like many of the competition.

Bangkok became Biman's third international destination and in the domestic sector Thakurgaon was included in the network. Four more F-27s joined the fleet of Biman. Two of these gifts from Australia and the other two were purchased from the Fokker Company.Dubai and Kathmandu became Biman's fourth and fifth international destinations. In the domestic sector services were extended to Cox's Bazar. In the international sector, services were extended to Yangon, Abu Dhabi, Karachi and Mumbai in 1976. The second Boeing 707-320C, joined the fleet. A leased Boeing 707-320C joined Biman's fleet to operate its Dhaka-London services. The airline also purchased another Boeing 707-320C.

Singapore became another part of Biman's international network. Biman acquired its third Boeing 707-320C from Trans Air of Canada.The year turned out to be the year of route expansion. In the international sector, services were extended to Kuala Lumpur, Athens, Muscat and Tripoli. Syedpur became a part of the domestic network in the following year. Tokyo and Dahran were brought within the fold of Biman's network in the following year. An off-line office in Jakarta was also opened. Another Boeing 707-320C joined Biman's fleet in 1980. Biman was made a corporation under the title- Bangladesh Biman Corporation. Jeddah, Doha and Amsterdam became part of Biman's expanding network in the international sector in 1978. Two more Boeing 707-320C aircraft were acquired, one of them from Japan.