The ninth worst airport

Our lone international airport in Dhaka is reportedly the ninth worst among around 50 to 60 airports in Asia.  Such a rating by an international agency was published in a number of English dailies on November 1.

On a worldwide basis, our international airport in Chittagong may well be the worst, closely followed in rank by Dhaka's! Now, we are dreaming of having another one near Dhaka, which will possibly come to reality in the days to come for 'skimming' all possible 'milk and honey' in the shape of thousands of crores of taka that will be needed to get it done.

However, 'skimming' is the real 'name of the game' for all our politicos. So there will be no opposition to the second airport proposal for Dhaka from anyone as all will like to have their finger in the pie--both the bureaucrats and their political masters. That is going to be a natural major thrust over the next decade.

Given this status, the so-called international airport in Chittagong covering traffic only to Myanmar, India and some Middle East destinations, could be the next pie to be relished when time comes. It could be in the next five-year political plan. Once the next general election comes round, progress from planning to implementation will then become the next priority agenda going full steam ahead.

S.A.Mansoor

Dhaka