Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry has started the work for expanding Saidpur Airport in Nilphamari to upgrade it to international standards.
For the continuation of expansion work, the ministry has acquired 345 hectares of land from Saidpur municipality and Bangalipur union in Nilphamari and Belaichandi union under Parbatipur upazila in Dinajpur, sources said.
From Nilphamari, 216.5 hectares land and from Parbatipur upazila of Dinajpur, 128.3 hectares land, have been acquired.
The current runway will be expanded to 12,000 sq ft from 6,000 sq ft, making it one of the biggest runways in the country.
According to sources, the construction work for building two terminal towers and two airport hangers have already started. Markers have been placed to mark the total area of the acquired lands.
New taxi-way, passenger terminal building, cargo terminal, building control tower, power house, pump house, fire station, administrative building, operational building, VIP/VVIP lounges, residential building, hanger, distance measuring equipment (DME), non-directional beacon (NDB), instrument landing system (ILS), radar station, water supply and drainage system, overhead water tank, water treatment plant, MT tower, car parking, approach roads, internal roads and peripheral petrol roads will be constructed in the acquired lands.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Commodore Mustafizur Rahman said Saidpur Airport is being constructed as the fourth international airport in Bangladesh.
Land Acquisition Officer of the District Administration office Aminul Islam Bulbul said: "A views-exchange meeting over the issue of acquiring lands for expanding the airport was held on Saturday. Secretary of Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Mohibul Haque was present as the chief guest."
The meeting was also attended by Deputy Commissioner of Nilphamari Nazia Shirin, Additional Deputy Commissioner (Revenue) Shahinoor Alam, Additional Deputy Commissioner (General) Azharul Islam, Civil Surgeon Dr Ranjit Kumar Barman, and others.
The deputy commissioner said, the complete upgrade of Saidpur to an international standard will boost the trade and tourism business with neighbouring countries India, Nepal and Bhutan, and improve the overall economic conditions of the North Bengal.
"Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina promised to raise the Saidpur Airport to international standards," Nazia Shirin said. "The work for that has now started."
Saidpur Airport was established as a domestic airport with 54.3 hectares of land in 1979 in Saidpur municipality, informed airport Manager Shahin Ahmed.
Currently, there are eight flights from Bangladesh Biman, Novoair, US Bangla and Regent Airways in the Dhaka-Saidpur route. The expansion work required for the complete upgrade of Saidpur Airport will be completed by 2020, the airport manager said.
