Runway expansion: Buet, BRTC to carry out feasibility study

The government has appointed BRTC and Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (Buet) as consultants for carrying out detail feasibility study and cost estimate for the expansion of Dhaka airport runway from 10,500ft to 12,000ft.

State Minister for Civil Aviation M Mahbub Ali today told this to parliament in reply to a query from Awami League MP Kazim Uddin Ahmed from Mymensingh-11.

The junior minister, however, didn't elaborate in this regard.

20 LAKH TOURISTS VISITED BANGLADESH IN 5 YEARS

In reply to another query from AL MP Nasimul Alam Chowdhury from Cumilla-8, Mahbub Ali said, around 20 lakh foreign tourists visited Bangladesh in the last five years since 2017 earning around Tk 12,788 crore as foreign exchange.

He said huge amount of annual foreign exchange is earned in the tourism sector every year.

In a scripted answer, the state minister said, in 2017 a total of 5 lakh foreign tourists visited Bangladesh earning around Tk 2,615 crore.

The number of tourists visited in 2018 is 5.52 lakh earning around Tk 2,889, in 2019, 6.21 lakh tourists visited earning around Tk 3,220 crore, in 2020, 1.18 lakh tourists earning around Tk 1,782 and in 2021, 1.35 lakh tourists visited Bangladesh earning around Tk 2,279 crore.

The state minister said tourism industry is a prospectus sector and the government has declared this industry as thrust sector considering the importance of this industry and to attract domestic and foreign tourists.

Mahbub Ali also said the government has taken various measures to establish new tourist centres in the country.