Japan on Monday signed a deal with Bangladesh to provide grant aid up to 2,402 million Yen (approximately US$23.5 million) for the improvement of Airport Safety and Security Systems.
An exchange of note to this effect was Economic Relations Division (ERD) secretary Mohammad Mejbahuddin and Japanese Ambassador in Dhaka Shiro Sadoshima on behalf of their respective government.
Chief Representative of JICA Bangladesh Office Mikio Hataeda also signed the grant agreement.
About the project for Improvement of Airport Safety and Security Systems, the JICA said that as more than 100,000 aircraft fly in Bangladesh every year (about 300 per day), reflecting the rapid increase of passengers with 8.4 percent growth in Dhaka International Airport, the demand for safe and reliable civil aviation has also increased.
In order to upgrade the air navigation system and to enhance safety of take-off and landing, by complying with ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) standards, the project will install air safety and security facilities such as a new Primary/Secondary Surveillance Radar (PSR/SSR), Doppler VOR/DME and Baggage Inspection System, to four airports in Dhaka, Chittagong, Jessore and Syedpur. The Project will be implemented in 22 months.
During the signing ceremony, Japanese Ambassador Shiro Sadoshima said Japan is pleased to cooperate on the aviation safety of Bangladesh, which is one of the most important fields to drive the momentum of development of the country.
The effectiveness of Japan’s contribution in this field especially in the region including Bangladesh is significant.
For Bangladesh, Japan supported the improvement of Chittagong Airport completed in 2001 through Japanese ODA loan and has provided several assistance for training in the capacity building for aviation staffs.
Recently, the flight density in Bangladesh has increased significantly, and the international community has strongly requested Bangladesh to improve the safety standard of aviation control.
Against this backdrop, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) and organizations concerned have urged the importance of upgrading and renewing relevant equipments.
Japan has acquired a lot of experiences on supporting aviation control in high density flights as well as development of functional infrastructure for aviation users, through providing similar cooperation to Nepal and Myanmar recently.
Moreover, updated CNS (Control, Navigation and Surveillance) provided by Japan will be executed to contribute to not only safe flight and to reduce the fuel consumption, but also to improve the reliability of navigation and inspection system, which will eventually contribute to development of logistics and tourism industry.
Mikio Hataeda of JICA emphasized the importance of enhancing capacity building for operation and maintenance by making full use of the soft component.
Source: UNBConnect
