New name of Bangladesh airport in Dhaka

by Special Correspondent
February 15, 2010

http://www.weeklyblitz.net/520/new-name-of-bangladesh-airport-in-dhaka

Awami League led left alliance government is set to change the name of Zia International Airport in Dhaka from this week. The airport was earlier named after the former President Ziaur Rahman, who is the founder of Bangladesh Nationalist Party. Now, the present government, as part of removing names of political opponents from various establishments and institutions in the country is set to rename the airport as Shahjalal International Airport.

The airport was built during British rule of the Indian Subcontinent during World War II, partly to check Japanese aggression from Burma. It was also used by the United States Army Air Force, whose Tenth Air Force stationed several B-24 Liberator bomber units at the airport during the war, flying combat missions against the Japanese in Burma. With the end of the war, the combat airfield was redeveloped into a commercial airport.

This international airport in Dhaka was established in 1981 on an area of 1,981 acres [802 ha]. Nearly 52 per cent of the country's international and domestic arrivals and departures occur through Zia Airport, while country's second largest international airport at Chittagong handles about 17 per cent of passengers. About 4 million international and 1 million domestic passengers and 150,000 tons of freight and mail pass through Zia International Airport annually.

At that time, this airport was named as Dhaka International Airport. After the assassination of President Ziaur Rahman, the name of Dhaka International Airport was changed with Zia International Airport. President Zia was assassinated in May 1981. According to political analysts, President Zia was a charismatic Bangladeshi war hero, politician and statesman. Ziaur Rahman became the 6th President of Bangladesh on April 21, 1977.

Since then, name of this airport was unchanged. Though Awami League was able to form government during 1996-2001, it did not initiate changing name of this airport.

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