At least 525 high-rise buildings have been constructed without approval in the no-fly zone areas around Dhaka’s Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HISA) and the old Tejgaon Airport over the past decade, according to the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB).
Speaking with journalists at the CAAB headquarters on Thursday, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mostafa Mahmud Siddiq said the authority had repeatedly flagged these violations, but the responsibility to take action lies with the Rajdhani Unnayan Kartripakkha (Rajuk).
“CAAB has no authority to demolish buildings,” the CAAB chief said. “We’ve sent repeated letters to Rajuk. It is now their responsibility to act,” he added.
The briefing came in the wake of concerns raised after the recent Milestone jet crash incident, which reignited scrutiny of illegal high-rise structures near flight paths.
However, the CAAB chairman dismissed any connection with the accident. “There are no illegal high-rises near the Milestone incident area,” he said. “The approved height for buildings in that zone is up to 150 feet. In reality, the tallest buildings there are only 135 feet high.”
Regarding the much-anticipated third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, the CAAB chairman said construction is progressing at full pace, though a specific inauguration date has yet to be finalized.
He added that discussions are ongoing with the Japanese consortium that will operate the terminal. “Once mutual understanding is reached, an operational agreement will be signed,” he said.