The Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism has opened initiatives to upgrade the Saidpur domestic airport in the northern district of Nilphamari to an international one.
The Civil Aviation Authority Bangladesh (CAAB) has already started a feasibility studies after which they will start renovating the airport in December.
Currently four airlines in the country are using the airport but seeing that the demand has increased, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina announced that it will be upgraded to an international airport from a domestic one.
According to the CAAB, it will take a good four years for the upgrade to be complete.
At the moment the civil aviation organization is working on the expansion of the airport to handle the pressure of incoming passengers.
Sources said that the ministry is planning to procure a total of 852 acres of land for the successful expansion.
They said that construction work for building two terminal towers and two airport hangers have already started.
A neew 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.
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."