Bangabandhu Airport project to be revived

The government will restart the process of constructing Bangabandhu International Airport that it initiated during its last term, but backtracked at the fag end of its tenure.
“We will start afresh the proposed Bangabandhu Airport. I've already held a meeting and had discussions about it,” Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Rashed Khan Menon said yesterday.
He said this after inaugurating the high-speed taxiway built under a project of the Danish International Development Assistance (Danida) at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The high-speed taxiway will enable incoming aircraft to enter terminal in a shorter time, requiring less fuel and saving time for passengers.
Menon also said he would give top priority to upgrading the Cox's Bazar Airport to boost tourism industry.
To this end, he would complete all formalities in three months, he added.  
Regarding the harassment of passengers at the airport, Menon, who has lately taken charge of the ministry, said he had asked all service providers to work in a more coordinated way to alleviate the woes of the passengers.
A total of four taxiways -- south taxiway, high-speed taxiway, north taxiway, and central taxiway -- will be constructed under the project involving Tk 567 crore.
The work of south taxiway has already been completed. Danish construction firm Mungk Ashfault has been implementing the project.
With the implementation of the total project, the Pavement Classification Number (PCN) of taxiway will be increased from 40 to 85.
The project work also includes 1,36,000-sq metre taxiway pavement work, and 80,000-sq metre shoulder work (on the slope of taxiways and empty spaces).
More than 60 percent of the total project work has been completed, and the rest of the work will be completed within seven to eight months, well ahead of the schedule, said officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (Caab).
Addressing the programme, Denmark Ambassador to Bangladesh Hanne Fugl Eskjaer said the development of the airport was essential.
She expressed her satisfaction over the quick implementation of the project and good quality.
Caab Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mahmud Hussain said the runway had already been renovated.
Once this project is completed, he added, Shahjalal Airport's sustainability would be guaranteed until 2025.