Airport cost escalation okayed

FT ONLINE

The Executive Committee of the National Economic Council (Ecnec) on Tuesday approved the revised expansion of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, with an additional cost of Tk7,788 crore.

The meeting, presided over by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina at Sher-e-Bangla Nagar's NEC auditorium, also okayed six other projects costing Tk1,452 crore, Planning Minister MA Mannan said at a press briefing.

A third terminal and other infrastructures will be built under the project, which has been approved at a revised cost of Tk21,399 crore, a 57.23 percent increase from the original proposal of Tk13,610 crore.

The Japan International Cooperation Agency (Jica) will provide Tk4,926 crore in the airport expansion project.

As much as Tk11,215 crore was estimated to come from the Jica, while the government planned to spend Tk2395.69 crore for the expansion project. With a hike in the project cost, the government and Jica will have to spend 119.48 percent and around 43.93 percent more respectively.

According to the revised proposal, the airport project will cover a 2.30 lakh square metre passenger building, including terminal and security equipment. The terminal will incorporate 115 check-in and 64 check-out counters, 64 incoming immigration counters, 27 baggage X-ray machines, 40 cabin X-ray machines, 12 boarding bridges, 16 conveyor belts and 11 body scanners. 

All these facilities will enhance passenger handling capacity to nearly 1.2 crore. Besides, it has been proposed to set up, among other infrastructures, a 54,000sqm tunnel and a multi-storied car parking facility under the same project.

The Ecnec approved other projects including - Bangladesh Chancery Complex in Pakistan, Ramu-Fathekharkul-Marishcha National Highway in Cox's Bazar, Keraniganj to Hasara in Munshiganj district Highway Development Project, Jhinedah-Kuhstia-Paksey-Dasuria four-lane construction and development project, Nageswari-Kasipur-Fulbari-Lalmonirhat district highway development project.

The committee also approved the infrastructural development of three colleges in Dhaka, Madaripur and Rangpur.