In a brazen display of greed, corruption, and fascist overreach under the murderous Yunus regime, Adviser Sk Bashir Uddin (also known as Sheikh Bashiruddin) has turned Bangladesh’s aviation sector into his personal fiefdom. This power-hungry tycoon, masquerading as a public servant, has entangled himself in a web of conflicts of interest, abused his authority to enrich himself and his cronies, and rushed through secretive deals that mortgage the nation’s futureโall while binding deals under nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) to hide his dirty tracks.
The adviser’s litany of misdeeds has created a stir after media reports exposed how one man’s insatiable lust for control is crippling a vital industry and betraying the Bangladeshi people.
The Helicopter Heist: Personal Profit Over Public Duty
Sk Bashir Uddin’s descent into an ethical abyss began with his shameless pursuit of a private aviation empire while clutching the reins of government powerโa textbook case of conflict of interest and abuse of authority. Appointed as commerce adviser in November 2024, this self-serving mogul wasted no time: by March 2025, his conglomerate, AkijBashir Group, brazenly submitted a letter of intent (LoI) to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) for “Akij Bashir Aviation Limited.”
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This wasn’t some humble hobby; the proposal reeked of commercial ambition, aiming for a B-2 category licence to operate domestic passenger and cargo services via helicopter.
On March 11, 2025, Bashir Uddin procured a trade license from the Dhaka North City Corporationโin his own name, complete with his smug photographโlisting “Import, Aviation Service, Export” as the business. He then applied for a no-objection certificate (NOC) and air operator certificate (AOC), even joining a CAAB video conference as the “ultimate owner” to push his agenda.
Aviation Express investigations reveal he claimed to have recruited pilots and secured offices, all while the application lingered in “final verification.” But here’s the kicker: just a month later, on April 15, 2025, this greedy opportunist was handed the portfolio for the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism, giving him direct oversight over the very regulators reviewing his personal venture.
Bashir Uddin peddles pathetic excuses, whining that it’s just for his “personal helicopter” he’s owned for 14 years, forced by “extortionists” after his prior operator, South Asian Airlines, folded. He claims he’s “not in management, only a shareholder” and sold helicopters due to “harassment.”
But the LoI screams commercial intent, and experts like Transparency International Bangladesh’s Dr. Iftekharuzzaman slam it as a “clear example of conflict of interest” bedevilling the interim government’s rotten governance. Aviation expert Kazi Wahidul Alam calls it “certain problems,” while legal eagle Shahdeen Malik insists such antics would force resignation in any sane democracy. This isn’t patriotismโit’s predatory greed, violating Article 147 of the Constitution that bars ministers from profit-making roles.
Seizing The Throne: Dual Roles And Boardroom Takeover
Not content with one hand in the till, Bashir Uddin escalated his power grab by becoming chairman of Biman Bangladesh Airlines in August 2025โwhile still lording over the civil aviation ministry. This grotesque merger of roles demolishes the firewall between policymaker and operator, turning oversight into a farce where the adviser regulates himself. If Biman skirts safety rules or crushes competitors, who investigates? The same corrupt clown in charge.
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In a further abuse, Bashir Uddin stacked Biman’s board with regime loyalists on January 14, 2026: national security adviser Khalilur Rahman, special assistant Faiz Ahmad Taiyeb, and Election Commission senior secretary Akhtar Ahmed.
Rahman’s dismissive quipโ”Not all countries in the world have Biman”โoozes arrogance, ignoring the puzzle of appointing an election official to a corporate gig amid polls. Zulkarnain Saer’s analysis exposes this as a “consolidation of authority” around Bashir Uddin’s circle, eroding independence and fueling doubts over decisions like fleet expansions.
Bashir Uddin boasts of slashing ticket fares by 60% and busting “syndicates” that allegedly looted Tk50,000 crore, claiming he “came to stop chaos.” But his flawed logic ignores the self-dealing: this is abuse of power at its ugliest, leaving accountability in a “closed loop” and the sector vulnerable to his whims.
The Boeing Bonanza: A $3.7 Billion Election-Eve Heist
In a frantic pre-election scramble, Bashir Uddin is shoving through a Tk37,000 crore ($3.7 billion) Boeing deal, rubber-stamped at Biman’s December 2025 AGMโwhich he chaired. The haul: eight Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9s, and four 737-8 MAXs, down from an initial 25 to “reduce the US trade deficit.” But the haste reeks of desperation, with urgent pleas for a 10% discount sent to Boeing’s Seattle HQ, aiming to ink it days before the February 12 pollsโbinding the next government to a decade of debt.
Bangla Outlookโs Zulkarnain Saer uncovers the inversion: Bashir Uddin sealed the deal in the US without Biman’s board approval, fleet planning, or institutional buy-in and then returned to Dhaka, grabbed the ministry and chairmanship, and forced Biman to endorse his mess. This transfers risks to taxpayers via sovereign guarantees, bypassing years of required analysis on routes, demand, and finances. Why the urgency? Personal ambition over national needs, per experts.
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Worse, this ties into secretive NDAs: On June 13, 2025 (per OpIndia and other reports), the Yunus regime signed a nondisclosure agreement with the US for tariff negotiations, committing to Boeing purchases and wheat imports in exchange for trade perks.
Bashir Uddin, as commerce adviser, was neck-deep in these “secret” talks, hiding terms from the public while fast-tracking the aircraft buy. CPD’s Devpriya Bhattacharya decries the lack of transparency. This isn’t negotiationโit’s a sellout, abusing power to lock in deals under NDAs that shield corruption from scrutiny.
Ground Handling Giveaway: Sabotaging Biman For Private Gain
Bashir Uddin’s greed extends to gutting Biman’s revenue streams. Despite Biman’s monopoly on ground handlingโinvesting hundreds of crores in equipment for Terminals 1 and 2โhe abruptly yanked it from the third terminal, a lucrative gig. Zulkarnain Saer alleges this paves the way for a foreign operator linked to Bashir Uddin, collapsing negotiations with Japan (JICA-funded) to shoehorn in his interests. As a government rep in talks while tied to private players, this dual role screams conflict, undermining integrity and ethical standards.
Airport Leasing Monopoly: Legal Twists For Crony Control
In a masterful abuse, Bashir Uddin pushed “open tenders” for airport land and facilities, stalling on policy and then amending laws to centralise power in his ministry. Bypassing ICAO compliance, security norms, and public consultation, this fast-tracked schemeโrevived from a pre-2010 flop due to risksโaims for a pre-selected foreign company he’s “closely associated” with.
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Sources warn of monopolies via upfront payments, enabling smuggling, foreign intel footholds, and laundering for ex-regime networks. With elections looming, the rush ignores the Rules of Business, reeking of personal urgency over public good.
The Civil Aviation (Amendment) Ordinance, 2026, was rammed through overnight, altering language despite objections. Similarly, Travel Agency Act tweaks nuked 5,000 agencies’ viability, handing market control to a “narrow syndicate”โframed as fare cuts but benefiting select interests.
The Cumulative Catastrophe: Regulatory Capture And National Betrayal
Viewed together, Bashir Uddin’s misdeeds form a fascist blueprint for capture: personal licences, board takeovers, Boeing rushes under NDAs, ground handling thefts, leasing plots, and law-bending.
Dr. Iftekharuzzaman blasts the regime’s “sheer lack of understanding” or assumption of eternal unaccountability, leaving “messy obligations” for successors unless backroom deals exist. Zulkarnain Saer demands independent probes to halt irreversible damage to security, credibility, and infrastructure.
Bashir Uddin whines of “smear campaigns” by media and extortionists, cloaking himself in “patriotism” and “good faith.” But this delusion substitutes for checks and balances, costing the interim government’s credibility. Under Yunus’s fascist umbrella, such corrosive cronyism isn’t embarrassmentโit’s betrayal, demanding accountability before Bangladesh’s aviation crashes and burns.
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