PM inaugurates Cox’s Bazar airport runway expansion work

Dhaka: Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 29 inaugurated the expansion work of the Cox's Bazar Airport runway as part of a project to make it an international standard one.

The Prime Minister virtually opened the expansion work of the country’s longest runway from her official Ganabhaban residence.

The government has taken the initiative to upgrade the airport through extending its runway by reclaiming land from the sea so the international flights operated by wide body aircraft can land at the airport.  

After completion of the project, the new 10,700 feet runway will allow wide-bodied aircraft like Boeing 777 and 747 to operate at the airport paving the way for operation of international flights. 

A video documentary regarding activities for development of the civil aviation sector by Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and her elder daughter incumbent Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at the function. 

State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali and its Secretary Md Mokammel Hossain spoke on the occasion while Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Chairman Air Vice Marshal M Mafidur Rahman gave the welcome address joining virtually the function from the Cox’s Bazar Airport end.

Cabinet members, local lawmakers, public representatives, political leaders and government officials were present at the airport side.

PM’s Principal Secretary Dr Ahmad Kaikaus, PMO (Prime Minister’s Office) Secretary Md Tofazzel Hossain Miah and PM’s Press Secretary Ihsanul Karim were present at the Ganabhaban.

The CAAB signed a deal for the project with the Chinese joint venture of Changjiang Yichang Waterway Engineering Bureau (CYWEB) and China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation (CCECC) on February 9 this year.

The project is scheduled to be completed by May 2024 with an estimated cost of BDT 1,568.86 crore. The project was approved by the government on November 4, 2018.

The detailed design and construction of temporary facilities, including a site office, road networks, jetty, and concrete batching plant had been substantially completed.

After completion of the project, tourists from different countries can directly reach Cox’s Bazar as a tourist destination.

The project is an important advancement towards the government's vision to make Cox’s Bazar a single tourism hub for the inbound tourists here.