CAAB, Japanese firm sign Tk 1.2b deal
Japanese consulting firm Nippon Koyi Company Ltd will conduct feasibility study and select suitable site for the proposed Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib International Airport at a cost of Tk 1.20 billion.
An agreement was signed in this connection at Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) office in the capital on Wednesday.
Nippon Koyi Co Ltd deputy managing director Toshikaju Kambara and CAAB chairman Air Vice Marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations.
The deal includes conducting feasibility study, selecting location, and preparing a master-plan for the airport. CAAB will bear the expenditure from its own fund.
After signing the agreement the CAAB chairman told the reporters that the study will be completed within 18 months. According to its report a suitable place for the airport will be fixed, as several locations are under consideration.
CAAB sources said the Japanese firm will start the feasibility study from next month (October). Considering geographical location the airport cannot be constructed in the country’s northern part. So, the government is planning to set it up in the southern part.
The CAAB chairman also said all the Japanese citizens, taking part in the study-related work, will be provided foolproof security. Adequate security will be ensured for them during their travel to various areas.
During the deal signing ceremony it was informed that the number of flights to and from Bangladesh has been increasing gradually. But necessary infrastructural facilities in the country are inadequate compared to the number.
Construction work of Hazrat Shahjalal (R) International Airport (HSIA) began in the 60’s as a domestic airport. Its capacity will be able to meet the demand till 2035. That is why the government has been considering construction of a new airport.
Besides, as part of HSIA’s expansion construction of its third terminal will start soon. The process of appointing a consulting firm is going on.
Moreover, development work of Cox’s Bazar airport and land acquisition for Khan Jahan Ali airport in Khulna are going on.
