A Chinese company, China Railway First Group Co. Ltd. (CRFG), has been chosen to construct an international passenger terminal at Cox’s Bazar Airport to make it an international airport soon. The Chinese company will work in cooperation with a local construction company, National Development Engineers Ltd (NDE), at a cost of Tk. 275 crore, sources in the civil aviation ministry said. When completed, international flights will be able to land at the airport, which would be the country’s fourth international airport, the sources added.

The government had earlier announced that Cox's Bazar would be developed as a tourism city and the Moheshkhali area as an investment hub. As part of upgrading the airport, "Meghdoot", a 162-seat Boeing 737-800 of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, landed there with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on May 6 last year.

Md Mohibul Haque, acting secretary of the civil aviation ministry, in his proposal said that the civil aviation authorities will provide boarding bridge facilities, escalator, lift, baggage handling system, and set up a central air-conditioning system, PA system and baggage scanning machines at the airport.

“A total of 10,912.49 square feet building and 49,753 square feet of apron and connecting taxi-way would be constructed by December this year,” the proposal said.

Talking to The Independent, a senior official of the civil aviation ministry said the proposal would be sent to the meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Purchase soon, seeking its approval.“We will give the work order to the Chinese company after getting approval from the committee,” he added.

The tender evaluation committee recently selected the Chinese company to construct the passenger terminal, after assessing its proposal.

Sources said the area of the present terminal building, including arrival, departure and VIP arrival lounge, is 10,000 square feet.

After the terminal building is completed, the number of domestic and international passengers would increase sharply because of the possible landing of large aircraft.

At present, the British-era airport is being used for domestic flights. Only small aircraft, such as the 74-seater Dash-Q400, can use the airport.

SR