Bangladesh Aviation University in the offing

The government is to establish the country’s first aviation university in a bid to produce more home-grown pilots, aviation scientists and engineers. Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) and Bangladesh Air Force will be the driving forces behind “Bangladesh Aviation University”. “We are planning to found a university that will specialize in the aviation sector,” CAAB Director (flight safety) Wing Commander Chawdhury M Ziaul Kabir said. “We have already devised a draft plan (and) once established, the university will be the first of its kind in the South Asian region.” Bangladesh already has five aviation training institutes - Civil Aviation Training Center, Bangladesh Airlines Training Center, Bangladesh Flying Academy, Arirang Aviation, and Galaxy Flying Academy - but prospective pilots must currently enroll at foreign academies or with the air force to receive training. CAAB Chairman Air Vice-Marshal M Naim Hassan said the initiative is aimed at ensuring proper education and training within Bangladesh and conducting high quality research on aviation. “Aviation is a booming Industry in our country so we should concentrate on generating more scientists and engineers to accelerate its growth and to ensure safe journeys by air,” he said.