Dhaka – The government on Wednesday signed a deal with a Japanese company to launch feasibility study for construction of a new airport in Bangladesh, officials said.

The proposed airport will be named after the Bangladesh’s independence architect Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh and Nippon Koei Group signed the deal to conduct the feasibility study at a cost of Tk 120 crore. The CAAB will provide the money from its own fund and the study will be completed in 18 months time.

The firm will also recommend the location of the new airport and file a detailed master plan, Air Vice-Marshal Ehsanul Gani Chowdhury, chairman of CAAB, told reporters.

He hinted that the airport is likely to be set up in the southern part of the country.

Chowdhury and Nippon Koei Group’s Deputy Director General Toshikazu Kambara were present during the signing of the deal at CAAB headquarters in Dhaka.

Bangladesh has long been planning for construction of a new airport. It had selected a site in Munshiganj a few years ago. But the government retreated from the plan after people from the area opposed to have the plan implemented.