Bangladesh plans new aviation rules to become regional hub.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat today called for investment- and passenger-friendly aviation policy regulations as Bangladesh moves to overhaul its four-decade-old regulatory framework and position the country as a regional aviation hub.
“After 42 years, we have gathered today to revise the Civil Aviation Regulation, 1984 and formulate the new Civil Aviation Regulations, 2026,” he said.
Millat was chairing a meeting at the Secretariat to finalise the draft Civil Aviation Regulations, 2026, attended by senior government officials and representatives of public and private airlines.
The minister said the government is taking various measures to attract greater investment to the civil aviation sector, making it imperative that the new regulatory framework is conducive to business and investment.
“Our new rules must therefore be business- and investment-friendly,” he said, adding that necessary provisions would also be incorporated to improve passenger services and ensure aviation safety and security.
Describing airlines as key stakeholders, Millat urged their active participation in framing the rules, particularly in identifying regulatory changes needed to facilitate investment.
He said the government would consider revising provisions governing aircraft maintenance facilities to address the needs of private airlines, alongside measures to remove complexities in the maintenance, repair and overhaul of sophisticated aircraft components.
The proposed rules would also seek to incorporate provisions on Irrevocable Deregistration and Export Request Authorisation (IDERA), in line with the Cape Town Convention, to safeguard rights associated with international financing and leasing of aircraft assets.
Millat said Bangladesh also plans to establish an international-standard Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility to provide aircraft maintenance services for both domestic and foreign airlines.
“With your cooperation, we hope to achieve our goal of developing Bangladesh into an aviation hub,” he said.
The minister also called for inspection drills every three months to ensure fire safety of airport infrastructure.
Necessary measures would be taken to simplify procedures for the establishment and expansion of civil airports through private-sector initiatives, he added.
During the meeting, US-Bangla Airlines Managing Director Md Abdullah Al Mamun placed a number of proposals on behalf of private airlines, while participants held detailed discussions on provisions proposed for inclusion in the new rules.
Civil Aviation and Tourism Ministry Secretary Fahmida Akhtar, Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) Chairman Air Vice Marshal Mostafa Mahmood Siddiq, Biman Bangladesh Airlines Managing Director Kaiser Sohel Ahmed, Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation Chairman Md Samimuzzaman and representatives of other government and private-sector stakeholders attended the meeting.
