Birth Date Changed After 33 Years and Service Tenure Extended

After thirty-three years, the birth year of a serving woman has been changed. In the records of an official of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the date of birth had long been recorded as February 14, 1968. At the end of her service career, it has now become February 14, 1969.

Due to this one-year discrepancy, her service tenure has increased. Allegations of changing birth dates to delay the retirement age are not new in government service. Many try to stay in service longer by reducing their age through various tactics. The inconsistency in this Biman Bangladesh Airlines official's records is raising similar questions.

The official in question is Shahnaz Begum. Her promotion was cancelled after allegations arose that she was promoted despite not having the required educational qualifications. According to airline records, an office order issued on Tuesday morning promoted Flight Service Manager Shahnaz Begum to the position of Deputy General Manager (Flight Service).

However, the following day, on Wednesday afternoon, another office order cancelled that promotion. In the midst of this incident, the matter of her birth date change has resurfaced. Allegations of irregularities have not only been raised regarding administrative decisions but also regarding flight operations during her tenure. Multiple documents have linked her operational management to incidents of flight delays, raising internal questions.

Shahnaz Begum was most recently serving as Manager of the Flight Service Department. Prior to this, she was the Manager of the Planning and Scheduling Department. While in that role, she is accused of imposing her own decisions arbitrarily in determining cabin crew duties.

Colleagues have alleged that she imposed punitive measures—such as assigning flight duties at unusual hours, depriving them of claim-off facilities, and not providing adequate rest—on employees who did not agree with her political ideology. On the other hand, her preferred employees received convenient routes, attractive destinations, and other benefits.

According to documents, Shahnaz Begum joined Biman as a flight stewardess in 1989. Her date of birth in the records at the time of joining was February 14, 1968. This information remained unchanged for the next 33 years, but in a document issued in 2021, her date of birth was listed as February 14, 1969. As a result, she has been given the opportunity to work for an additional year. Taking advantage of this extended service period, she attempted to get promoted to a higher position without the required educational qualifications.

On March 30, Shahnaz Begum was assigned as Manager (Flight Service). However, even after moving to that position, she continued to exert influence over the Planning and Scheduling Department. This created a conflict with the newly appointed Manager (Planning and Scheduling), Parveen Sultana Shravani. On June 4, Shravani was given additional scheduling responsibilities alongside her existing duties.

Shahnaz Begum's transfer to the Manager (Flight Service) position was also surprising to many. Because the person holding that position, Ferdousi Masud Rifaat, had applied for early retirement on March 15, and it was approved on May 21.

Shahnaz Begum's name was also involved in a controversy at the end of 2025, where two cabin crew members were allegedly excluded from a VVIP flight due to political allegiance accusations. It is known that after that incident, senior authorities directed her to be reassigned as a line crew member. However, instead, she was quickly placed in the Manager (Flight Service) position.

When contacted multiple times for comments on these issues, Shahnaz Begum could not be reached.