UNB, Dhaka :
Despite security concerns voiced by experts and the Prime Minister’s instructions to be cautious in using radars, the Civil Aviation Ministry is going to finalise its decision very soon on installation of a multimode surveillance system, including radar and other equipment, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport under PPP.
Security experts warned that the implementation of such a sensitive project under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) will only put the national security at stake.
They said, the airport authorities should implement the project on its own fund
instead of going for PPP taking the Prime Minister’s recent warning about the radar use into consideration.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 4 asked Air Force personnel to be more careful while using and maintaining aircraft and radars as those have been procured with people’s hard-earned money.
Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) has been trying since 2005 to modernise the air traffic management of the Dhaka airport by installing new radars as the current two radars-one installed in 1984 and another in 1986 — have become outdated.
In 2012, a local company, Karim Associates, proposed implementing the project titled ‘Multimode Surveillance System’ at a cost of Tk 190 crore under PPP.
In August 2013, the Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) decided in principle to implement the project under PPP at a cost of Tk 330 crore.
But, the project cost was later increased to over Tk 1,700 crore and it was sent to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry for its approval after the evaluation by Qualification and Technical Evaluation Committee formed by the CAAB. The authorities said the cost was increased considering its technical and maintenance expenditures.
As the Prime Minister’s Office raised questions about the sharp crease in the project cost, the ministry sent it back to CAAB to revise the cost. The CAAB recently submitted the revised project cost to the ministry.
However, no one from the ministry or the CAAB agreed to disclose the exact figure of the revised project cost.
Despite security concerns voiced by experts and the Prime Minister’s instructions to be cautious in using radars, the Civil Aviation Ministry is going to finalise its decision very soon on installation of a multimode surveillance system, including radar and other equipment, at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport under PPP.
Security experts warned that the implementation of such a sensitive project under Public-Private-Partnership (PPP) will only put the national security at stake.
They said, the airport authorities should implement the project on its own fund
instead of going for PPP taking the Prime Minister’s recent warning about the radar use into consideration.
Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on December 4 asked Air Force personnel to be more careful while using and maintaining aircraft and radars as those have been procured with people’s hard-earned money.
Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) has been trying since 2005 to modernise the air traffic management of the Dhaka airport by installing new radars as the current two radars-one installed in 1984 and another in 1986 — have become outdated.
In 2012, a local company, Karim Associates, proposed implementing the project titled ‘Multimode Surveillance System’ at a cost of Tk 190 crore under PPP.
In August 2013, the Cabinet committee on economic affairs (CCEA) decided in principle to implement the project under PPP at a cost of Tk 330 crore.
But, the project cost was later increased to over Tk 1,700 crore and it was sent to the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry for its approval after the evaluation by Qualification and Technical Evaluation Committee formed by the CAAB. The authorities said the cost was increased considering its technical and maintenance expenditures.
As the Prime Minister’s Office raised questions about the sharp crease in the project cost, the ministry sent it back to CAAB to revise the cost. The CAAB recently submitted the revised project cost to the ministry.
However, no one from the ministry or the CAAB agreed to disclose the exact figure of the revised project cost.
