Dhaka Airports: 525 high-rises illegally built on approach paths of planes

At least 525 unauthorised high-rise buildings have been constructed in the approach paths of the runways of two airports in Dhaka over the past 10 years.

Air Vice Marshal Md Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), revealed the information at a media briefing at the CAAB headquarters in the city's Kurmitola yesterday.

The CAAB boss said they do not have the jurisdiction or power to demolish the unapproved portion of those buildings.

"CAAB has been repeatedly writing to the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk) over the past 10 years regarding the issue, as it is their responsibility to take action against the unapproved structures," Mostafa Mahmood said.

The issue of unauthorised high-rise buildings near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA) and the old airport in Tejgaon has come into focus following the July 21 plane crash at Milestone School & College in the Diabari area.

The Bangladesh Air Force training jet crashed into the school's compound, killing at least 35 people and injuring scores of others. Most of the victims were schoolchildren.

At the media briefing, Caab officials clarified that there are no unauthorised high-rise buildings surrounding the Milestone compound.

Group Captain Md Noor-e-Alam, member (Air Traffic Management) of CAAB, explained that the permitted height for buildings in that area is maximum 150 feet, and the tallest building surrounding the Milestone school camps is currently 135 feet high.

About aviation experts' views that training of fighter jets should not be carried out over the sky of densely populated Dhaka, the CAAB chief said fighter jets use HSIA runway just for taking off and landing.

"But the training area and training path are different, it's not in the Dhaka sky," the CAAB chairman added.

Regarding the inauguration of the Terminal 3 at the HSIA, CAAB Chairman Mostafa did not provide a specific date.

However, he mentioned that efforts were underway to make the terminal fully operational very soon.

He also said discussions were ongoing with a Japanese consortium regarding the operation of the terminal, and a formal agreement would be signed once both parties reach an understanding.