Bangabandhu Int'l Airport to be built near Dhaka

The Bangabandhu International Airport will be constructed near the capital instead of the previously fixed location in Madaripur-Shariatpur region.

Mohibul Haque, secretary to the civil aviation and tourism ministry, disclosed the information on Sunday, saying that the government has scrapped the idea of building the airport at the previously proposed location due to densely packed households there.

"The Japanese consulting firm Nippon Koei Company Limited suggested the government not to build it at Madaripur-Shariatpur region as more than 8,000 families are living in and around the area," said the secretary.

He also said that the previously selected place was rejected as the government does not want to relocate such a huge population.

The secretary also mentioned that the construction will require land measuring 8km in length and 5km in width.

Asked about the new location, he said that it will be within 50 to 60 kilometers of the capital.

According to civil aviation and tourism ministry sources, the authorities are looking for a suitable location near Dhaka.

There will be a meeting among the parties concerned including the consulting firm at the ministry to discuss the possible locations, sources added.

The consulting company has already completed feasibility studies of the project at Zajira and Shibchar areas from July 2015 which was supposed to be completed by June this year at a cost of Tk 136.75 crore.

But the Japanese company submitted the report before the due time at a cost of Tk 120 crore, saving the government over Tk 16 crore.

Earlier this year, the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism asked Nippon Koei Company to search for the new location with the condition of being near Dhaka for the proposed new airport.