The flight schedule of Biman Bangladesh airlines has been severely affected for the last two days with pilots not reporting for duty. The Bangladesh Airlines Pilots Association called a strike on Tuesday night after the national flag carrier temporarily suspended four pilots of the association who were leading protests against the airline's plans to raise pilots' retirement age to 62 from 57 years and also reportedly reducing their benefits in addition to some reservations against the plane lease agreements signed.Addressing a press conference today Biman's Managing Director Zaikul Islam gave a 48 hour deadline beginning from Thursday morning for the pilots to resume duties. He said the management was doing everything possible to keep the situation normal. Meanwhile, Bangladesh Airline Pilots'Association General Secretary Captain M A Basit Mahtab said they would not join their work till the withdrawal of the showcase notice served to four pilots and reinstatement of the sacked pilots.The protest by the Bangladesh Airlines pilots association has severely affected the flight schedules of the state owned Biman Bangladesh airlines for the last two days. While the national carrier has managed to keep the flight services for Haj pilgrims normal, other flights have either been cancelled or rescheduled with delays ranging from ten to twenty hours leaving passengers stranded at the airport.The management has described the strike by the pilots as illegal and given the pilots a 48 hour deadline to join duty. But with the pilots are not willing to relent till the action against their colleagues is withdrawn the deadlock remains unresolved for now.