Desk Report:
Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Afroza Khanam said, we want to transform Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport into a global aviation hub. With the cooperation of all of you, we will achieve that goal.
The minister said this at the inauguration of the newly built Air Traffic Management Center at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport on Monday (April 20, 2026). State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism M Rashidjuman Millat was present at the time.
In his speech as the chief guest, the minister said, “We are very proud to inaugurate a state-of-the-art and automated Air Traffic Management System, which will make our airspace safer, more efficient and uplift our international standards.” At the same time, he recalled the contribution of martyred President Ziaur Rahman and said that martyred President Ziaur Rahman laid the foundation of Bangladesh’s aviation sector by launching a new international airport in Kurmitola, Dhaka in 1980.
In his special guest speech, the State Minister said, I believe that this new air traffic management system will create significant opportunities for regional cooperation through integrated airspace management of 350 nautical miles. By strengthening coordination with neighboring countries through information exchange, we are gradually moving towards establishing ourselves as a regional aviation hub.
Also present at the event were French Ambassador to Bangladesh Jean-Marc Séré-Charlet, Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Fahmida Akhtar, Chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh Air Vice Marshal Md. Mustafa Mahmud Siddique, and senior officials of the ministry and the civil aviation authority.
