Bagerhat Correspondent :
There is no progress in the construction works of the proposed full-fledged Khanjahan Ali Airport at Foila under Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district as the requisite lands are not acquired so far.
On the other hand, it is learnt from a reliable source of the concerned ministry that the Government is thinking to construct the airport on the basis of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). It is further learnt that if it is not possible to construct the airport on the PPP basis it may be constructed by the Government from the next financial year.
On May 5 in the last year the plan for the construction of the proposed Bagerhat Khanjahan Ali Air Port Project at a cost of Tk.544.75 crore was passed in the ECNEC in order to facilitate Mongla Sea Port, Mongla EPZ, Rampal Power Plant and Khulna, the 3rd largest city cum industrial area of the country. The plan for the extension of the runway of the proposed airport was also passed in the ECNEC in order to make it an international standard.
According to the project, a total Tk.15.80 crore would be spent to procure electro mechanical instruments, Tk.11,66 crore to construct the building, construction of runway and airfield ground, Tk.9.50 crore for lightning, Tk.8.50 crore for border wall cost Tk.5.17 crore for water supply, Tk.9.70 crore for two power plant cost, Tk.3.50 crore for fuel transporting cost, Tk.6.09 crore for consultancy sector, Tk.2.50 crore for vehicle purchasing cost, Tk.4.10 crore for hand metal detector, lift and telephone cost and Tk.87 lakh for allocation of project employment.
It may be mentioned here that in the year 1997 some 94 acres of lands were acquired at Foila under Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district for the construction of Khanjahan Ali inland airport. At that time the earth filling work of the runway and of the area was done. But after that due to step motherly attitude of BNP-Jamat alliance government to the neglected south-west region of the country the idea was dropped all on a sudden without showing any reason. (Not only that but also the same government dropped the programme taken by the previous Government to construct the long expected Padama bridge in the plea of sight selection which could play most important role for the overall development of the region). As a result, the proposed airport area became a grassing center for heads of cattle.
The present Government took it as a priority project. That is why more lands should be acquired with a view to making it international standard and for the constructions of various infrastructures of the airport. With this end in view a decision was already taken by the concerned authorities to acquire some more 536 acres of lands. At first it was decided to acquire the lands on which Foila bazar is situated and its adjacent areas in order to meet up the requirements. But considering the importance of the bazar the decision was later changed. An important meeting of the ministry of the Civil Aviation and Tourism was held in Dhaka in the month of June in the current year. In that meeting the decision was taken to acquire the lands so that the general people are less affected. After the decision a team of the Civil Aviation authorities came to Bagerhat and visited the different villages, adjacent to Foila under Rampal Upazila. It is learnt from a reliable source of the Civil Aviation authorities that the sketches and the necessary papers were already made ready for the second time acquisition of 536 acres of lands. After the final approval of the sketches the construction of the proposed Khanjahan Ali airport will be started and it will be completed within the month of June, 2018.
In this connection Tapan Kumar Biswas, DC, Bagerhat told the newsmen, the Civil Aviation Authority sent a letter to DC Office to know about the estimate cost for acquiring 536 acres of land for the construction of the proposed Khanjahan Ali (international standard) Air Port at Foila in Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district. DC added that in reply to the letter he had informed the concerned authority that about a sum of Tk.300 crore may be required to acquire the lands.
Najnin Ara Khatun, Joint Secretary of the Civil Aviation and Tourism told the newsmen, the government is thinking to construct Bagerhat Khanjahan Ali Airport on the basis of PPP and the processing is going on to acquire the lands. She added, if the private partner is not available the government itself will start to construct the airport in the next financial year.
UNB from Bagerhat adds: The residents of nine villages in Rampal upazila are in fear that they might become homeless following the government’s move to acquire 536 acres of land afresh for the construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport. During a recent visit to Khulna-Mongla highway, the UNB correspondent found a signboard inscribing ‘Khan Jahan Ali Airport’ hanging beside the highway and soil piled up on the land which was acquired earlier for the construction of the airport.
When the news of land acquisition spread, the residents of the nine villages launched a movement under the banner of ‘Dwellings and River
Protection Movement Committee’ saying that several thousand people will lose their dwelling houses and land while some portion of Bhola, Daudkhali and Joukhali rivers will be filled up. The nine villages are Gobindapur, Hogoldanga, Dhaldah, Jhalbari, Chachuri, Boronababpur, Bamondahor, Kadamdi and Debipur in Rampal upazila. Sources said the authorities concerned acquired 94.90 acres of land at Foyla in Rampal upazila beside Khulna-Mongla highway in 1994-1995 fiscal year while 2.65 acres in the 1999-2000 fiscal year for the construction of the proposed Khan Jahan Ali Airport.
The earth filling work started in 1998 during Awami League rule.
Later, the then BNP-Jamaat alliance government changed the airport plan, leaving the airport project in limbo.
On May 5, 2015, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the airport construction involving Tk 544crore.
On October 18 last, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry sent aletter to the deputy commissioner of Bagerhat wanting to know the estimated expenditure for acquiring 536 acres of land for the airport.
Advocate Mohiuddin Sheikh, the chief adviser to the movement committee, said if the government acquires land from the north side of the land which was acquired earlier for the work than the villagers would be relatively less affected.
Robi Kazi, an affected villager of Hogladanga village, said the government has already acquired his two acres of land for the airport
earlier and he will lose 2.5 acres more land due to the new proposal.
Tapan Kumar Biswas, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat, said he sent a proposal fixing an estimated cost of Tk 300 crore for land acquisition in reply to the ministry’s letter.
He said he will talk to the authorities concerned over the demand of the villagers. Sought comments, Talukdar Abdul Khalek, MP of Bagerhat-3 constituency said the project of constructing Khan Jahan Ali Airport has been taken for the country’s development and the administration will consider the losses to be caused by the land acquisition.
There is no progress in the construction works of the proposed full-fledged Khanjahan Ali Airport at Foila under Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district as the requisite lands are not acquired so far.
On the other hand, it is learnt from a reliable source of the concerned ministry that the Government is thinking to construct the airport on the basis of Public-Private Partnership (PPP). It is further learnt that if it is not possible to construct the airport on the PPP basis it may be constructed by the Government from the next financial year.
On May 5 in the last year the plan for the construction of the proposed Bagerhat Khanjahan Ali Air Port Project at a cost of Tk.544.75 crore was passed in the ECNEC in order to facilitate Mongla Sea Port, Mongla EPZ, Rampal Power Plant and Khulna, the 3rd largest city cum industrial area of the country. The plan for the extension of the runway of the proposed airport was also passed in the ECNEC in order to make it an international standard.
According to the project, a total Tk.15.80 crore would be spent to procure electro mechanical instruments, Tk.11,66 crore to construct the building, construction of runway and airfield ground, Tk.9.50 crore for lightning, Tk.8.50 crore for border wall cost Tk.5.17 crore for water supply, Tk.9.70 crore for two power plant cost, Tk.3.50 crore for fuel transporting cost, Tk.6.09 crore for consultancy sector, Tk.2.50 crore for vehicle purchasing cost, Tk.4.10 crore for hand metal detector, lift and telephone cost and Tk.87 lakh for allocation of project employment.
It may be mentioned here that in the year 1997 some 94 acres of lands were acquired at Foila under Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district for the construction of Khanjahan Ali inland airport. At that time the earth filling work of the runway and of the area was done. But after that due to step motherly attitude of BNP-Jamat alliance government to the neglected south-west region of the country the idea was dropped all on a sudden without showing any reason. (Not only that but also the same government dropped the programme taken by the previous Government to construct the long expected Padama bridge in the plea of sight selection which could play most important role for the overall development of the region). As a result, the proposed airport area became a grassing center for heads of cattle.
The present Government took it as a priority project. That is why more lands should be acquired with a view to making it international standard and for the constructions of various infrastructures of the airport. With this end in view a decision was already taken by the concerned authorities to acquire some more 536 acres of lands. At first it was decided to acquire the lands on which Foila bazar is situated and its adjacent areas in order to meet up the requirements. But considering the importance of the bazar the decision was later changed. An important meeting of the ministry of the Civil Aviation and Tourism was held in Dhaka in the month of June in the current year. In that meeting the decision was taken to acquire the lands so that the general people are less affected. After the decision a team of the Civil Aviation authorities came to Bagerhat and visited the different villages, adjacent to Foila under Rampal Upazila. It is learnt from a reliable source of the Civil Aviation authorities that the sketches and the necessary papers were already made ready for the second time acquisition of 536 acres of lands. After the final approval of the sketches the construction of the proposed Khanjahan Ali airport will be started and it will be completed within the month of June, 2018.
In this connection Tapan Kumar Biswas, DC, Bagerhat told the newsmen, the Civil Aviation Authority sent a letter to DC Office to know about the estimate cost for acquiring 536 acres of land for the construction of the proposed Khanjahan Ali (international standard) Air Port at Foila in Rampal Upazila in Bagerhat district. DC added that in reply to the letter he had informed the concerned authority that about a sum of Tk.300 crore may be required to acquire the lands.
Najnin Ara Khatun, Joint Secretary of the Civil Aviation and Tourism told the newsmen, the government is thinking to construct Bagerhat Khanjahan Ali Airport on the basis of PPP and the processing is going on to acquire the lands. She added, if the private partner is not available the government itself will start to construct the airport in the next financial year.
UNB from Bagerhat adds: The residents of nine villages in Rampal upazila are in fear that they might become homeless following the government’s move to acquire 536 acres of land afresh for the construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport. During a recent visit to Khulna-Mongla highway, the UNB correspondent found a signboard inscribing ‘Khan Jahan Ali Airport’ hanging beside the highway and soil piled up on the land which was acquired earlier for the construction of the airport.
When the news of land acquisition spread, the residents of the nine villages launched a movement under the banner of ‘Dwellings and River
Protection Movement Committee’ saying that several thousand people will lose their dwelling houses and land while some portion of Bhola, Daudkhali and Joukhali rivers will be filled up. The nine villages are Gobindapur, Hogoldanga, Dhaldah, Jhalbari, Chachuri, Boronababpur, Bamondahor, Kadamdi and Debipur in Rampal upazila. Sources said the authorities concerned acquired 94.90 acres of land at Foyla in Rampal upazila beside Khulna-Mongla highway in 1994-1995 fiscal year while 2.65 acres in the 1999-2000 fiscal year for the construction of the proposed Khan Jahan Ali Airport.
The earth filling work started in 1998 during Awami League rule.
Later, the then BNP-Jamaat alliance government changed the airport plan, leaving the airport project in limbo.
On May 5, 2015, the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) approved the airport construction involving Tk 544crore.
On October 18 last, the Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry sent aletter to the deputy commissioner of Bagerhat wanting to know the estimated expenditure for acquiring 536 acres of land for the airport.
Advocate Mohiuddin Sheikh, the chief adviser to the movement committee, said if the government acquires land from the north side of the land which was acquired earlier for the work than the villagers would be relatively less affected.
Robi Kazi, an affected villager of Hogladanga village, said the government has already acquired his two acres of land for the airport
earlier and he will lose 2.5 acres more land due to the new proposal.
Tapan Kumar Biswas, deputy commissioner of Bagerhat, said he sent a proposal fixing an estimated cost of Tk 300 crore for land acquisition in reply to the ministry’s letter.
He said he will talk to the authorities concerned over the demand of the villagers. Sought comments, Talukdar Abdul Khalek, MP of Bagerhat-3 constituency said the project of constructing Khan Jahan Ali Airport has been taken for the country’s development and the administration will consider the losses to be caused by the land acquisition.
