The government is working to develop Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub connecting South Asia with other regions of the world, said Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam.

She said this while speaking as the chief guest at an event titled ‘Saudia and HSBC: Powering Global Connectivity—Celebrating Saudia’s Journey in Bangladesh’ organized at Hotel Sheraton in Banani, the capital, on Monday (July 27) evening.

The minister said that Bangladesh is entering a new era in the aviation sector. Under the leadership of the current government, work is underway to build modern airport infrastructure, improve the quality of passenger service and expand Bangladesh’s air connectivity with different countries of the world.

She also said that the government’s goal is to establish Bangladesh as a regional aviation hub, which will connect South Asia with the wider world. The government welcomes the cooperation and investment of international airlines, financial institutions and strategic investors to implement this goal.

Praising Saudia’s 46 years of operations in Bangladesh, Afroza Khanam said that the company has long facilitated the travel of millions of passengers, assisted expatriate workers in international travel, and provided safe and reliable services to pilgrims performing Hajj and Umrah. Through this, Saudia is playing a role not only as an airline, but also as an important bridge in the friendly relations between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia.

The event was attended by Tanvir Ghani, Special Assistant to the Prime Minister (Investment and Capital Market Affairs), Dr. Abdullah Ibn Dhafer Ibn Ubayyah, Saudia, HSBC Bank and senior officials of various institutions.

The speakers emphasized the need to further strengthen air connectivity, trade, investment, tourism and people-to-people contacts between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia. At the same time, the role of the aviation sector in expanding global connectivity and the prospects for future cooperation were also discussed.