Dhaka [Bangladesh] September 2 (ANI): US President Donald Trump acted like a salesman, said an aviation expert from Bangladesh, commenting on the sale of Boeing aircraft.
“Every country or head of state is a salesman; I mean, if you look at other–all other countries in the world, every head of state or the government, when visits another country or exchanges ideas with other counterparts, they always try to sell their product. And President Trump is no exception. I mean, he’ll definitely try to sell his products to other countries”, Kazi Wahid ul Alam, an aviation expert in Dhaka, told ANI.
“Bangladesh, since it’s a growing market for aviation, I think he considers the market mature for more Boeing aircraft. That’s why he is advocating for selling Boeing aircraft to Bangladesh. And not only Boeing, but he is also advocating for other products as well, selling to Bangladesh, like wheat and other products as well. So, I look at it in a positive way”, he added.
“It is the decision of the government, how–the Bangladesh government will take it. Because, pressure–I mean, as we know, every country of the world they have the pressure from the superior country, superpower countries of the world. I mean, of different kinds of economic, social, and political pressure should always be there from the higher-ups. But it is the diplomatic channel which has to be followed. I mean, that has to be negotiated through the diplomatic channel, how much pressure we can take, considering the interest of the country”, said Alam, also a former Director of the state-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines.
Bangladesh has decided to upgrade Cox’s Bazar airport as internatiinal one after Dhaka, Chattagram and Sylhet airports. Passengers hail the govt decision. Some passengers were walking on the runway of Cox’s Bazar Airport. While walking on the runway to board the aircraft, they told ANI that the government’s decision to convert Cox’s Bazar Airport into an international airport, to be implemented starting next March, is a very good step. But Alam was cautious.
“I really do not think the upgradation of Cox’s Bazar Airport to an international airport, which will serve much purpose of the country, because Cox’s Bazar is not an area or place where we have basic traffic or cargo. So, I mean, launching Cox’s Bazar as an international airport will hardly serve any purpose”, he said.
“We already have Chittagong and Sylhet airports as international, but even Chittagong and Sylhet airports are not utilised at all. I mean, only Biman Bangladesh Airlines operates to Sylhet International Airport, and only yesterday, one Middle Eastern low-cost carrier started operations to Sylhet. So, Sylhet Airport is underutilised. Chittagong Airport as well is not utilized fully. I mean, it is also underutilised. So, keeping two of the existing airports underutilised, why the necessity of Cox’s Bazar to turn into an international airport was necessitated, I have no idea.”, Alam said.
The United States has thanked Bangladesh for purchasing Boeing aircraft. In a letter, US President Donald Trump expressed this gratitude to Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.
Bangladesh Biman Airlines has already signed an agreement with Boeing to buy 14 aircraft. The cost of buying these aircraft amounts to USD 3.7 billion or Tk 454.08 million (at an exchange rate of Tk 122.73 per dollar). Boeing will supply these aircraft to Biman in stages between 2031 and 2035.
Biman will buy 11 more aircraft from Boeing. Biman has 19 aircraft in its fleet. Among them, 14 are Boeing. By 2040, Biman will add 25 more aircraft to its fleet, officials said. (ANI)
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