Government Giving Special Priority to Bangladesh’s Civil Aviation Sector

The minister made the remarks when US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen paid a courtesy call on him at the Secretariat on Wednesday.

 

During the meeting, the two sides emphasized further strengthening bilateral relations between Bangladesh and the United States.

 

The minister said the government is working on an aviation master plan to improve air connectivity. As part of its efforts to establish Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub, a state-of-the-art air traffic management system was recently inaugurated at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The government has also taken an initiative to establish an international airport in Bogura.

 

He said initiatives have been taken to add new aircraft to the fleet of Biman Bangladesh Airlines with the aim of establishing the national carrier as a world-renowned legacy airline. As part of this initiative, an agreement to purchase 14 Boeing aircraft has already been concluded. This represents an important example of long-term commercial and strategic cooperation between the two countries. However, he stressed the need to expedite the delivery of the Boeing aircraft.

 

The minister further said that, considering the growing commercial and diplomatic ties between the two countries and the large number of Bangladeshi citizens living in the United States, the government is working to launch direct flights on the Dhaka–New York route next year.

 

Regarding the development of the tourism sector, Rashiduzzaman Millat said Bangladesh is rich in natural beauty. The current government is encouraging private investment to develop the country’s 1,498 tourist spots into international-standard tourist destinations.

 

During the meeting, US Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said the United States stands ready to support Bangladesh in its efforts to develop as an aviation hub. He said the friendship between the two countries would remain strong.

 

The ambassador also congratulated M Rashiduzzaman Millat on assuming full ministerial responsibility.

 

He said US investors are interested in investing in Bangladesh’s civil aviation and tourism sectors. He also assured that the United States would provide all necessary cooperation toward launching direct Dhaka–New York flights.

 

The meeting also discussed the ambassador’s visits to various tourist attractions in Bangladesh as part of efforts to promote the country’s tourism sector.