Staff Correspondent

State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir 
on Monday dismissed suggestions of any hidden agenda behind Biman Bangladesh 
Airlines' latest Boeing deal, saying fleet expansion is driven by the 
country's aviation needs.

"We need to expand the fleet to become an aviation hub. There is nothing... 
There is no hidden agenda. Bangladesh does it on the basis of needs. We need 
to expand our fleet," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kobir also emphasised the importance of maintaining a mixed fleet in the 
interest of the country's aviation sector as Bangladesh seeks to expand air 
connectivity and position itself as a regional aviation hub.

Secretary (Intergovernmental Organizations) M Forhadul Islam and Additional 
Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul 
Karim were present at the briefing.

The state minister's remarks came days after national flag carrier Biman 
signed a supplementary agreement with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing for 11 
additional aircraft during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to New York 
for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The latest order comprises five Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and six 737-8 
aircraft, taking Biman's Boeing orders this year to 25 aircraft.

Biman Board Chairman Rumee A Hossain and Boeing Senior Vice President of 
Commercial Sales and Marketing Brad McMullen signed the agreement on behalf 
of their respective organisations on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Boeing said the additional aircraft would provide greater efficiency, 
versatility and reliability as Biman modernises its fleet and expands its 
international network.

"These additional 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX airplanes will deliver the 
efficiency, versatility and reliability Biman needs to support Bangladesh's 
growing role in global aviation," McMullen said.

Boeing said the 787-10 would provide additional capacity to complement 
Biman's existing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, while the 737-8 would offer 
greater range for the carrier's single-aisle network.

The manufacturer said the 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX families provide 20 to 
25 percent better fuel efficiency compared with the aircraft they replace.

Biman Chairman Hossain said the supplementary agreement formed part of the 
flag carrier's long-term fleet modernisation and network expansion strategy.

"This order has been placed in line with the specific requirements of our 
fleet plan. Our longstanding, effective and mutually cooperative relationship 
with Boeing has given us confidence in aircraft delivery and subsequent 
support arrangements," he said.

The latest agreement follows Biman's April 30 order for 14 Boeing aircraft 
comprising eight 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9 Dreamliners and four 737-8 
aircraft.

That agreement was valued at approximately US$3.7 billion at list prices.
Combined with the latest purchase, Biman's Boeing acquisition programme this 
year comprises 13 Boeing 787-10s, two 787-9s and 10 Boeing 737-8s.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister 
Humaiun Kobir, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud 
Bin Harun and Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin attended the New York 
signing ceremony.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Deputy Secretary of State 
Christopher Landau were also present.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T Christensen had welcomed the agreement 
shortly before the signing, describing it as another "win-win" for 
Bangladesh-US relations.