Construction of Khan Jahan Ali Airport to resume soon

The construction work of the much-awaited Khan Jahan Ali Airport, which remained stalled since 1996, will resume soon involving Tk 544.75 crore.

Deputy Commissioner of Khulna Jahangir Alam said the work will begin soon after the release of funds.

Director (Planning and Training) of Civil Aviation Authority M Ziaul Kabir said "We are expecting that the work will begin in July and be completed by the next three years."

The work was stopped after land acquisition and earth filling despite having much importance for overall development of the Southwestern region.

The Bagerhat district administration handed over 97.55 acres of land, at Fayla in Rampal upazila near Khulna-Mongla highway, to Civil Aviation Authority in 1996. Later, earth filling work was done spending Tk 11 crore.

On January 27, 1996, the then Prime Minister Khaleda Zia laid the foundation stone of the airport but there has been no progress since then.

In 2001, again earth filling work began during BNP-Jamaat government's reign which was later stopped for lack of fund allocation.

The then Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Lt Col Faruq Khan engaged experts of Khulna University of Engineering and Technology to prepare the pre-feasibility study report on the project in 2012.

Later, the Kuet expert team submitted the report to the Civil Aviation Authority highlighting the importance of the airport with recommendation for constructing the airport in two phases.

Later, civil aviation and tourism ministry sent their proposal to the prime minister who ordered the construction of the airport on priority basis.

District administration sources said 150 hectares of additional land will be acquired for the project.