Chinese-built runway project in Bangladesh to boost regional connectivity

DHAKA, Aug. 29 (Xinhua) -- Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina Sunday laid the foundation stone virtually for the extension of a maritime airport runway in Cox's Bazar, around 300 km southeast of Bangladesh's capital Dhaka.

The extended runway, the longest in Bangladesh, is to be built by a joint venture of the China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation and Changjiang Yichang Waterway Engineering Bureau.

Addressing a gathering at the airport in Cox's Bazar, which is one of the world's largest natural sandy sea beaches, Hasina said in her official residence in Dhaka that her government wanted to turn Bangladesh into a center of communications for the entire world.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) inked a deal with the Chinese joint venture in February this year.

Under the agreement, the Chinese firm will extend the existing 9,000-foot (2,743-meter) runway by 1,700 feet (518 meters) through coastal land reclamation from the Bay of Bengal.

After completion of the project in 2024, Bangladeshi State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Mahbub Ali said the new 10,700-foot (3,261-meter) runway will pave the way for wide-body aircraft like Airbus A380 to land at the airport.

With reference to Singapore, Bangkok and Dubai, Prime Minister Hasina said Cox's Bazar has the potential to be the next significant destination for the entire world as it is considered a suitable location for the planes travelling from the East to West or the West to East.

Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming among others also spoke at the ceremony.

"Infrastructure connectivity lays a solid foundation for the in-depth development of China-Bangladesh bilateral relations," the ambassador said in his recorded video speech.

This project will for sure advance China-Bangladesh cooperation with regards to infrastructure development, said Li.

"China will continue supporting Bangladesh's infrastructure development, promoting cooperation in this and other fields to a higher level, and helping Bangladesh materialize its golden Bangladesh dream," he said.