The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is now working tirelessly to finish its commission to make a state-of-the-art radar system operational by May this year to detect all types of domestic and foreign aircraft in a bid to keep the country's airspace safe and earn foreign currency.
A top official of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT) confirmed that the advanced radar will boost surveillance and secure territorial waters and airspace, as the government always promises to give the highest priority to securing its sovereignty.
Another official of the Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance (CNS) under the country’s aviation apex body said the airspace of Dhaka and Chittagong has already come under surveillance by using the new radar on a partial basis. It will take until May for the radar to be fully operational.
Once operational, the entire airspace of the country will come under surveillance, the official added.
According to CAAB, the existing radar and navigation system at the airport were installed in 1980. It does not track the country’s entire airspace, particularly the area over the Bay of Bengal.
CAAB said the initiative to replace the old radar at Dhaka Airport was taken in 2005.
In 2012, a company made an initial offer of Tk330 crore for setting up radar under a public-private partnership (PPP).
Later in September 2013, the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved the implementation of the project on PPP.
When the tender was called in 2015, four companies participated. After screening, CAAB initially nominated the contracting company Karim Associates. Later, the initiative was scrapped.
In April 2021, the government approved a project named ‘Installation of Radar with CNS-ATM (Communication, Navigation, and Surveillance-Air Traffic Management) System at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.
The project is currently being implemented at a cost of Tk730.13 crore with CAAB's own funding.
According to the flying-over charge, Bangladesh will be able to collect fines from trespassing aircraft, which are required to pay a minimum of $500 for a single infringement.
CAAB sources said a memorandum of understanding (MoU) was jointly drafted on October 20, 2020, by CAAB and France-based radar manufacturer Thales LAS.
Under the agreement, the data collected through the radar must be strictly kept secret by the French company so that airspace security is not compromised.
The Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina-led government emerged victorious over Myanmar in a legal dispute over the maritime boundary in 2012. A ruling of the International Court of Arbitration awarded Bangladesh the right to an area of about 19,000 square kilometres in the sea.
However, the 37-year-old analog radar currently installed at Dhaka airport is unable to detect foreign aircraft flying over that airspace; the whole new system will be able to, said CAAB officials.
The new system will also be able to detect aircraft that are landing or taking off. Such procedures have to be conducted with an element of risk at the moment due to the current radar’s inability to detect such activity.
The system will cover the supply, installation, and operation of navigation and surveillance systems, including radar and related air traffic management, officials said.
