Civil aviation and tourism minister Muhammad Faruk Khan said that Biman Bangladesh Airlines would select either US-based aircraft manufacturer Boeing or European aerospace giant Airbus to purchase planes, considering Bangladeshs profit.
"We got a pretty decent proposal from Airbus, and Boeing has likewise given us a decent proposition. Biman has formed an evaluation committee in this regard, which will be good for Bangladesh. . . We will consider that," he said.
The minister was responding to reporters after emerging from a meeting with the UKs Minister of State (Indo-Pacific) for Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Affairs, Anne-Marie Trevelyan, at the secretariat on Tuesday.
Khan said that Airbus has already submitted a financial proposal, and Biman will take a decision after examining them thoroughly.
During the meeting, he said, they discussed Bangladeshs aviation security training, investment, ground handling, and procuring modern equipment.
"Apart from Dhaka, development work at our two airports in Sylhet and Coxs Bazar is ongoing, and we are trying to make Syedpur an air hub. Due to these reasons, they (the UK) have expressed keen interest in the civil aviation sector," the minister said.
The UKs state minister said that the UK has an existing security partnership with Bangladeshs civil aviation ministry. However, they also discussed elevating the relationship between the two countries further in the aviation sector.
Expressing her satisfaction with Bangladeshs overall development in different sectors, Trevelyan hoped that the aviation industry would play an important role in Bangladeshs graduation to a middle income country.
"Bangladesh is developing its airports, and a new terminal has been constructed… Thats why we want to share our expertise in different sectors, including aviation securities," she said. —BSS
