Construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport to resume soon
The construction work of the dream project of Khan Jahan Ali Airport will resume in full swing from next year involving Tk 5.44 billion.
Deputy Commissioner of Bagerhat Md. Jahangir Alam told BSS that the work will begin next year after the release of major portion of the fund as it is one of the priority projects of the Prime Minister.
The official said under a new plan the project has been expanded envisaging construction of an 11,000 feet runway from 7,000 feet planned in the previous project plans.
He said the size of land to be acquired for the expanded KJAA may increase two times from the existing plan to acquire 536 acres.
“Government has, so far, released Taka 43 crore in the last fiscal to spend fund in acquiring land. We will begin land acquisition work very soon,” he said.
The project implementation work was stopped during the government of BNP-Jamaat alliance following lack of initiative after partial land acquisition and earth filling process for the construction of the airport in 1996.
Khulna University of Engineering and Technology (KUET) submitted feasibility study report on the project to the ministry with a recommendation for constructing the airport in two phases in 2013.
The airport is expected to give booster to the development of the Southwestern region including speeding up Mongla port activities, enhancing investment in Mongla Export Processing Zone.
After visiting the site of the proposed airport recently, Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon asked the local administration to complete land acquisition and earth filling work by this year.
Prime Minister Shiekh Hasina has ordered concerned authorities to take necessary initiatives to construct KJAA as per the schedule after Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry sent their proposal to the Prime Minister’s Office.
