A helipad in a barren sandy piece of land built with considerable amounts of money will raise the eyebrow of any sensible person. What purpose is this going to serve? This has been done following stringent prescription by the civil aviation authority in terms of all its safety requirements, location, its surrounding, precise measurement and marking, having required lighting arrangement, the wind direction indicator (WDI) and fire fighting arrangement etc.
The retired air commodore looking after the aviation unit is a hard taskmaster who ensured nothing is compromised.
Prospective investors, high profile visitors, and consultants are unlikely to have so much of time at their disposal to take a road journey from the capital who would find it very convenient to avail a helicopter ride instead during day or night. Such are probably some of the considerations which led to construction of this helipad across the river Meghna in a piece of land being developed as Cumilla Economic Zone.
As you approach Meghna Toll Plaza along the Dhaka Chittagong highway to your left there is a branch road heading towards the riverbank which further follows the river line and takes you to the interior. There is a U-loop which goes across the highway underneath the approach road. This particular U-loop has been constructed entirely at the initiative of the entrepreneurs here.
Leaving aside the financial cost involved, convincing the government agencies concerned itself was a big deal. This now serves as the lifeline of a good number of industries in the area including Meghna Economic Zone. It allows a large number of local inhabitants to use the internal roads uninterrupted and they are even connected with the capital city by means of direct bus service.
Back in 2010 there hardly used to be vessels coming to this area because navigability was hindered by the shallow depth of the river here. It is by continuous dredging by industrialists here that the draught now is even up to 25 metres, which allows a host of vessels to navigate unhindered throughout the year. You will find a series of pontoons and jetties built along the river line to serve the industries.
This area criss-crossed by offshoots of Meghna has been inhabited by people having hardly any sustainable source of income. They mostly depended on very low-yielding agriculture, fishing, etc. The land around was marshy and sandy thus very low yielding to none. The sugar refineries, ship-building, paper and packaging, seed-crushing, cement, and edible oil all came up gradually. Industrialization of this area has done a tremendous service to the locals in transforming their lives and living.
These all happened because of improved connectivity and opening up of job and business opportunities to a hitherto unimaginable level. The local inhabitants are now overwhelmed by a large number of people from across the country, who have gathered here mostly in the form of unskilled labourers. Over the years many have been converted to semi-skilled from unskilled workers. The lucky ones have also been able to pick up some kind of managerial or supervisory job by dint of their perseverance and on the job learning.
Housing has grown to a huge proportion here, serving both people working in the industries and the home-owners. There is an assortment of high-to-middle-to-low income people living in this area. Even at midnight you will find the bustling alleys, shops, and marketplaces alive with people coming and going from their workplaces.
It is a win-win situation for the locals who sold off their land and entrepreneurs who got those and set up their ventures. The land price has gone up to unbelievable figures compared to what it had been 15 years ago. This has been a real boon for the locals.
A local youth riding a ramshackle motorbike five years back who came looking for business in the form of sand-filling, waste disposal, arranging daily labour for ongoing construction work, and other essential services can now afford to drive a posh car. He still continues to work for a local entrepreneur. The transformation of lifestyle is so much visible in this young man, and many others around, all because of the huge investment done over the last two decades and its trickle down effect.
It seems to be a healthy symbiosis.
A good number of officials are either provided accommodation within the industrial complex or in close proximity in rented houses. This saves them the trouble of commuting on a daily basis and allows them more time for themselves and their profession. It is encouraging to note that the generous entrepreneurs have spent considerable resources to make their officials and workers comfortable. More than a hundred foreigners have been accommodated with all allied facilities in the Meghna Economic Zone.
Some of the residences are provided with modern facilities such as a gym, sauna bath, dining facility and kitchen with expert chefs to meet the variety of taste of the residents. This is of great advantage when it comes to making even a good number of foreigners feel at home in a relaxing environment. In addition to ensuring safety and comfort this of course is a healthy relief from Dhaka’s centricity, which other entrepreneurs can follow.
The successful entrepreneurs can now concentrate on education for the children of their employees. If there are quality schools and colleges set up in the vicinity, this will serve a tremendous boost to a large number of employees who now prefer to keep their families close to Dhaka.
If this is done it will undoubtedly make life much easier and encourage them to give their best to their service and at the same time take good care of the next progeny.
Brig Gen Qazi Abidus Samad, ndc, psc (Retd) is a freelance contributor.
