Arial Beel in Munshiganj has come under the spotlight again as the cabinet committee on government purchase on Wednesday discussed the selection of the site for setting up an international airport there. However, the final decision on the selection of the site will be taken by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Arial Beel is a lowland area of about 136 sq km, located in the south of Dhaka between the Rivers Padma and Dhaleshwari. In the face of fierce protest by the local people, the government in February 2011 backtracked on the decision to construct an airport there.
The cabinet body meeting approved a variation proposal of Tk 132.62 million in favour of the Japanese consultancy firm Nippon Koei Co. Ltd, which will conduct a detailed feasibility study of the airport project. Besides, the meeting also discussed the possibility of another site, named Baghiar Beel, located in the Madaripur district. In the meeting, while some ministers opined to set up the airport in Madaripur, the Agriculture Minister advocated for selecting Arial Beel as the suitable site. As the distance between Dhaka and Madaripur is too long, passengers will face huge traffic on the way to the capital after landing at the airport.
In 2009, the government decided to build an international airport in Dhaka suburb; following that, a number of places were preliminarily chosen. However, none of them were selected as the government high-ups did not favour them. In 2010, the prime minister selected Arial Beel for the project, but at one stage backtracked on the decision in the face of severe protest by the local people.
When economists are expressing the looming danger of global economic recession due to the devaluation of the dollar and price hike of essential commodities, the place of the new airport issue is a sharp contradiction. Dhaka airport extension work is undergoing and after completion, the passenger capacity will be multiplied. The government must scrap all the luxury mega plans which will bring no fortune to the country. Austerity is the best policy now for the government for the readiness of the coming danger.
