The government has taken an initiative to upgrade facilities at the Cox’s Bazar airport to meet international standards.
The project will cost the government an estimated Tk3bn and will be financed by foreign donor agencies.
Concerned officials hoped that Cox’s Bazar, the tourism capital of the country, would attract scores of tourists from home and abroad once the project is finished.
According to the airport authorities, a team of Chinese experts has inspected the airport 10 times in the past three months in order to upgrade its current facilities to the standards of an international one.
A meeting was held at Cox’s Bazar deputy commissioner’s office to that effect on April 27 where several decisions were made.
The authorities have already conducted geological surveys and prepared a preliminary design.
While there are many hotels and inns for tourists to stay, they have to face many difficulties to travel to the tourism destination. Due to the absence of rail service from Chittagong to Cox’s Bazar, most of the tourists are forced to travel by bus.
Those who can afford it, fly to the district, but due to the lack of adequate facilities to cater to their needs at the airport, they are often discourage from doing so.
The upgrading of the airport would help promote tourism in the area, businessmen involved with the tourism industry said.
Meanwhile the government’s plan to expand the airport has raised fears among the 4,409 families who have homes near the airport. The government, however, gave assurance to relocate them.
Sources said, a project titled “Cox’s Bazar Airport Development (Phase - 1)” has been taken up recently to increase operational facilities of the airport. The project work includes expansion of the airport runway to make landing and take-off more convenient.
This move will make the transport system easier and more convenient to use, and will ensure fast and efficient movement of relief supplies during disasters.
Another project titled “Construction of Cox’s Bazar Airport Terminal Building, Cargo Village, Apron and Related Infrastructures” is also underway to develop the existing passenger facilities and aircraft parking capacity.
The government has already appointed a consultant for the implementation of the phase -1 project and acquired 682 acres of government-owned land.
The 4,409 families who would be displaced from their current locations to pave the way for the projects will be relocated to multi-storey infrastructures that will be built at the acquired land at Khuruscool and Tetoiya Mouja.
At present, the Cox’s Bazar airport runway is 6,775 feet in length. The existing runway would be extended by another 2,225 feet that would enable take-offs and landings of 8 to 10 airplanes during peak hours.
When contacted, Cox’s Bazar District Commissioner Md Ruhul Amin said, “If everything goes according to plan, we expect the prime minister to inaugurate the construction work of the project at the end of this month.”
