By Raquib Siddiqi
It is sad to note that aviation has not only failed to keep pace with global development through up gradation of facilities, but also suffered punitive actions for poor and outdated facility and security systems.
26 years ago in 1991, all the four major components —airports, airlines, tourism and hotels—of this the potential, but grossly neglected sectors, were in bad shape.
26 years later in 2017, the situation in country’s aviation and tourism industries remained almost the same. Except significant improvement in hospitality industry and some improvement in tourism, key elements remained unchanged.
The neglect to update aviation infrastructure and facilities has also standing on the way of fulfilling a dream, to make Bangladesh an aviation hub, by utilizing its geographical location between the East and the West.
Importance of aviation
In the present day world, air transportation and tourism have assumed great importance as the driver of economic and social progress. In Bangladesh, the importance is yet to be recognized and as such the civil aviation services are still locked in primitive system and government yet to support development of tourism.
According to a study conducted by Oxford Economics on behalf of the Air Transport Action Group (ATAG), air transport drives economic and social progress. It connects people, countries and cultures. It provides access to global markets. It generates trade and tourism. It forges links between developed and developing nations.
Among the organisations, which fall in the high-tech area, civil aviation is one of them. As a contracting state of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), Bangladesh is obliged to maintain its proficiency as per laid down standards.
International standards require that civil aviation authorities responsible for safety oversight be provided with necessary resources, both human and financial, to be able to effectively carry out safety oversight obligations. The government is to ensure that the authority is responsible for the safety oversight of the air operations and that it has the resources appropriate to the size and complexity of civil air operation under the jurisdiction of the state.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) was created in 1984, to function as the regulatory body for all aviation related activities in Bangladesh. It is also the aeronautical service provider and is responsible for safe, expeditious and efficient flow of air traffic within the Flight Information Region (FIR) bounded by the International geographic boundary of Bangladesh. This organization is the custodian of all airfields and allied facilities including air navigation facilities.
In 1984, there was only one international airport and one national airline in Bangladesh. The number of operating foreign airlines was also only a few. At present, aviation activities are being carried out from 3 international and 5 domestic airports, about 26 airlines are now operating in and out of the country.
In the absence of proper action, The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) is operating with manpower and equipment, sanctioned nearly three decades ago in 1984, when the work load was considerably far less than what it is now.
Downgradation
The neglect resulted in making Bangladesh one of the Significant Safety Concern (SSC) countries in May 2009 by International Civil Aviation Organisaion (ICAO). The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of USA on the other hand made Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), the gateway to Bangladesh by air, was downgraded to category -2.
More recently, Australia, UK and Germany banned direct air transportation of cargo from Bangladesh. Australia has relaxed this ban, but ban by UK and Germany still in force.
New organogram
After three decades, an effort was made to re-organise CAAB to equip itself with enough proper manpower—skilled and un-skilled—to meet the current requirements as well as the requirements of the next decade.
The proposal to reorganize CAAB has come after three decades and totally changed scenario in the air transportation—both nationally and internationally. The new organogram is designed to meet the current needs as well as to keep pace with the growing and changing trend.
Unfortunately however, for reason unknown the government is dragging its feet instead of hasten the process. The new organogram was submitted in 2010, but it is still waiting for final approval.
Lack of effort
In the past 25 years, the government wasted opportunities in infusing vigour and drive, to lift the sector from its virtual moribund state. Very little effective and productive measures have been taken to update facilities, modernize and expand HSIA and other airports.
One must agree that the effort of Bangladesh is far below the level of development elsewhere in the world. Lack of direction and priority in planning and execution are to be blamed for the vast gap between desired and actual achievements.
Airports
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (then Zia International Airport)– the gateway to Bangladesh by air was and still traveller’s nightmare. The airport, considered by many as the Bangladesh’s window to the world, is dirty enough to create highly negative impression about the country to the visitors.
Condition of other airports in the country is simply precarious in respect of passenger handling.
Airlines industry
One of the most significant developments in recent decades is making of national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines, a Public Limited Company (PLC). The airline assumed a new name—Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited-. The objective was to make it a dynamic, efficient and profitable airline.
The immediate past caretaker government also decided to gradually offload up to 49 per cent of the shares of the airline to the private sector and appoint a foreign operator to manage the airline. A deal was signed with Boeing for 10 modern aircraft—four B777-300ERs, two B737-800s and four B787 Dreamliner.
Long awaited action
Restructuring of national flag carrier of Bangladesh and equip it with dynamic management, efficient fleet, proper technology and productive manpower was long over due.
Turning Biman into PLC was not enough to run Biman efficiently and profitably. Except improvement of fleet position with induction of six aircraft—four B777s and two 737s–, all the major problems that made the national flag carrier sick—very sick indeed—are still there.
For the first time in nearly four and a half decades, national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines Limited is equipped with modern fleet. But its manpower situation is very bad.
Private airlines of BD
Another major development in the aviation sector is the presence of a private airline in the domestic sector and regional sectors.
It may be recalled that in 1993, the government in its bid to catch up with the rest of the world, decided to allow private airlines to operate on domestic, regional and international routes.
A look at the short and troubled history of the private airlines will show that the rate of survival of private airlines of Bangladesh is comparatively very low. Since the opening of airline industry to private sector, more private airlines have gone out of operation than the number now flying.
In little over a decades six airlines–Aero Bengal, Air Parabat, Royal Bengal Airways, Best Air, GMG Airlines and United Airways – have become history. Only three– Regent Airways, NOVO Air and US- Bangla Airlines are now Dying. Regent Airways is the oldest among the three, was established in 2010.
Through privatization of air transportation in Bangladesh the Government has opened up a new horizon, but has not taken necessary follow-up measures to guide and support the nascent industry. For the betterment of aviation industry of the country and success of privatization policy of the government, some government policy support is urgently required.
Neglected Tourism
In the present day world, tourism has been recognized as the single largest industry. This multi-dimensional industry has helped a number of developing countries to achieve tremendous economic prosperity. All these countries accepted tourism as their strategy for development to buildup good infrastructure and better image–the two important pre-conditions for development of tourism.
Tourism, the largest cash generating industry in today’s world, in Bangladesh, is yet to receive action-based attention it deserves.
The government adopted national tourism policy, recognised tourism as an industry, but these initiatives have not been backed by solid action. As a result, despite rhetoric’s, tourism has remained far from even takeoff stage.
In 1972, when Bangladesh Parjatan Corporation (BPC) was created as the national tourism organization (NTO), it was not given the regulatory function or authority. The regulatory functions were kept in control of bureaucrats. So, BPC totally failed to regulate and coordinate, as well as to ensure overall management of tourism industry.
Deliberate destruction
It may be recalled that to kick-start the proper development of tourism in Bangladesh, there was long standing demand for the creation of powerful and independent tourism authority as National Tourism Organization (NTO).
In response to popular demand, in 2008, immediate past caretaker government, initiate a move to create a new NTO to replace BPC. A law designed to create a functional and powerful authority to facilitate development of tourism in the country as well as maintain discipline in the industry was drafted.
The proposed new NTO was designed to put tourism on right track and kick-start its development. Under the draft law, the proposed NTO was to perform the job of regulator and facilitator.
Lame NTO
In September 2010, the country got a NTO styled as Bangladesh Tourism Board (BTB), but not the one, envisaged in the original draft law of 2008. This negated the efforts made to create an independent powerful tourism board and to repeal all the relevant existing laws Opinion of stake holders, expressed through series of meeting prior to drafting of law was totally ignored and the country got a lame and subservient NTO.
BTB has been given wide responsibilities, but no power, professional capability or expertise to discharge the given responsibility. Lack of manpower as well as fund are the two other important problems, that is troubling BTB.
Bangladesh still unknown
Bangladesh’s old-fashioned life style in rural areas, its rivers, its forested hills, the largest mangrove forest and pollution free sea beaches could be— with imagination and initiative converted into a highly attractive tourism product.
Unfortunately, the measures to develop tourism in the country have so far remained confined to formulation of policies, rituals and rhetoric’s.
The neglect to development of tourism and market Bangladesh as an attractive tourism destination, is so naked that campaign to promote Bangladesh during current “Visit Bangladesh Year-2016, yet to start due to lack of necessary fund, albeit more than half of the year has already gone.
Private sector in tourism
While, neglect to tourism development by the government continue, in recent decades private sector has become active in marketing Bangladesh as a tourist destination.
But in the absence of full government support, the efforts of the private sector could not achieve significant progress.
Praiseworthy growth in hospitality industry
The private sector, however, has been able to make significant contribution in the development of country’s hospitality industry.
Not so long ago, the highly capital-intensive hospitality industry of Bangladesh was depended on public sector investment as the private sector was shy—very shy indeed. This resulted in building of major properties like now defunct Shahbagh Hotel—the first international standard hotel in Dhaka in 1950s, Inter-continental—now Ruposhi Bangla in 1960s and Pan Pacific Sonargaon Hotel in 1980s, by the public sector. Only two notables hotels—Purbani in Dhaka and Agrabad in Chittagong, represented private sector, for quite some time.
Now, the shy private sector has become history and the hospitality industry of the country is dominated by a vibrant private sector. In the span of little over two decades, private sector has greatly enriched hospitality industry of the country in general and capital Dhaka in particular.
Apart from upscale hotels in different parts of the country, the private sector has made and making great contribution in enriching the country, in another sector of hospitality industry—the holiday resorts.
Private sector deserves full credit for this significant change for the far better situation, in the hospitality industry.
Neglect must go
Since the first jet airliner flew in 1949, use of commercial aviation has grown more than sixty-fivefold. This is a rate of progress unmatched by any other major form of transport and thus turned air transportation as one of the world’s most vital resources. Its development as an industry and its technical and service achievements rank aIr transport as one of the greatest contributors to the advancement of modern society.
Air transport has become essential to economic progress. In an Increasingly global community and market place, air transport makes possible the rapid movement of millions of people and billions of dollars worth of goods to markets around the world.
The industry plays a decisive role in the work and leisure of hundreds of millions of people. It is also the mainstay of booming tourism Industry.
Air travel demand in Bangladesh has experienced healthy growth in the past three decades. The trend of growth both in passenger and cargo is expected to continue in near future with increased industrialization and economic development.
From just 0.58 million passengers in 1972—the first year after independence, domestic and international air passenger traffic went up to 1.41 million in 1984—the year of formation of the civil aviation authority–to nearly 5.9 million in 2013,6.08 million in 2014 and 6.48 million in 2015.
This figure will shows how healthy the growth of passenger traffic is and the trend is continuing. Along with volume of passenger traffic, all other traffic and operational activities have also gone up proportionately. But infrastructure failed to keep pace with growth of traffic.
So, without further delay, government must do something positive, to put aviation and travel on right track—compatible to international standard.
(The writer is a former editor of the now defunct The Bangladesh times and specialises in travel and tourism)
