Премьер Бангладеш отказался от строительства отдельных авиабаз для тренировок из-за высокой стоимости

Separate Air Force training bases too costly, time-consuming: PM Tarique Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today said building separate air bases and runways for Bangladesh Air Force training would be costly and time-consuming, and that making maximum use of existing facilities would be a more practical solution for training and operational readiness. Bangladesh Air Force has an important responsibility to ensure the security of key installations, important places and critical infrastructures (KPIs) across the country, including in Dhaka, he said. It is therefore essential to keep the air defence capabilities of Dhaka and other cities effective and ready, the PM added. He made the remarks while answering a question from Mahfuza Hannan MP during the PM’s question-and-answer session at the Jatiya Sangsad this afternoon. Mahfuza asked whether the government had any plan to stop Air Force training aircraft from flying over Dhaka and other cities, construct separate training runways and conduct training there, and whether there was any new plan concerning public safety. In reply, Tarique said constructing separate air bases, runways and the necessary supporting infrastructure would be a very expensive and long-term undertaking. The limited availability of land and the existing infrastructure in Bangladesh also need to be considered, he said. Therefore, proper use of existing facilities is considered more realistic than building separate runways and bases solely for training activities, he added. Replying to a question from Shirin Sultana MP on steps taken to modernise the country's defence capabilities to combat cyber attacks, the prime minister said the government had planned to review the armed forces' cyber security policy with the aim of developing domestic drone production capacity. Initiatives have also been taken to strengthen surveillance and situational awareness at sea, he said. In reply to a supplementary question from Monirul Haque Chowdhury, the PM said the government was planning to arrange technical and vocational training for Qawmi madrasa students to create employment opportunities both at home and abroad. Renewable energy Replying to a question from Nilofar Chowdhury Moni, an MP from the reserved seats, the prime minister said the government had taken various measures to increase the use of renewable energy and encourage public interest in it. Referring to tax exemptions on essential items used to install solar panels, he said the measure had been taken to develop domestic industry and the solar panel sector. Tax waivers had also been introduced to facilitate the production of lithium batteries in the country. He said that within the next six months, people installing rooftop solar systems would be able to sell electricity to the grid, with the government purchasing it at Tk 10.50 per unit. In other words, the government would provide an incentive above the bulk rate. He added that a national rooftop solar programme had been undertaken to install rooftop solar systems on government buildings, educational institutions, hospitals and other important facilities. A guideline had already been prepared to implement the programme, he said. Alongside solar power, initiatives had also been taken to generate electricity from hydropower, wind power and waste. Once these activities are implemented, it will be possible to tackle the energy crisis and expand the use of renewable energy, the prime minister added.