The government Tuesday approved setting up of Khan Jahan Ali Airport at Rampal in Bagerhat at the cost of Tk 5.45 billion, aimed at facilitating tourism and business potential in Mongla and the Sundarbans areas.
Presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (ECNEC) approved the country's 15th airport at Rampal, 20 kilometres off from Khulna city, at its meeting in the city.
After the ECNEC meeting, Planning Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said: "The airport will boost business and tourism and help government to facilitate relief activities during any disasters in that south-western coastal zone."
"The businesses in Khulna area will expand due to growing export-oriented fish processing industries, Mongla EPZ and the special economic zone, and tourist spot-the Sundarbans. So the proposed airport will be helpful to facilitate these businesses there," he told journalists.
The Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) will build the airport by June 2018.
The CAAB acquired 41.30 acres of land at Rampal for constructing the Khan Jahan Ali Airport in 1996. The proposed airport is in between Khulna city and Mongla seaport.
The ECNEC meeting also approved Mohipal Flyover construction project at Tk 1.58 billion at its meeting
The flyover will be built at Feni on Dhaka-Chittagong four-lane road aimed at making transport movement between the capital and the port city easier.
Besides, the ECNEC approved eight other projects at a combined cost of Tk 12.08 billion.
The approved projects are: Bridge construction Chota Feni River on the Sonagazi-Olamabazar Chardarbeshpur-Companyganj road at a cost of Tk 733 million; development of public libraries at six districts at a cost of Tk 495.3 million; renovation, repair, and maintenance of 15 district Shilpakala academies at a cost of Tk 405.6 million; rural infrastructure development: Chittagong Hill Tract (2nd phase) at a cost of Tk 3.80 billion; fisheries development at union levels (2nd phase) at the cost of Tk 2.42 billion; vaccine production technology improvement project at the cost of Tk 1.46 billion; buffaloes development project at a cost of Tk 759.1 million and the Tk 2.0 billion Gulshan-Banani and Baridhara development project.
The ECNEC meeting was attended, among others, by ministers, high officials of the ministries concerned and members of planning commission.
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