New MoCAT leadership faces reform test as experts outline aviation priorities

Dhaka: The newly formed Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) government has ushered in fresh leadership at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT), appointing Afroza Khanam Rita as Minister and M. Rashiduzzaman Millat as State Minister. Industry experts have welcomed the appointments while outlining a set of urgent reforms and structural challenges confronting the aviation sector.

Managing Director of Novoair and leader of the Aviation Operators’ Association of Bangladesh (AOAB), Mofizur Rahman identified the operationalization of the third terminal at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport as an urgent priority to ease congestion and enhance service capacity.

In the long term, Rahman called for a comprehensive overhaul of aviation policies, citing structural weaknesses, excessive taxation, customs complexities, and limited access to long-term financing.

Rahman also urged the government to reassess past infrastructure investments, arguing that some projects were undertaken in less strategic locations while commercially viable airports such as Ishwardi and Bogura received inadequate attention. He welcomed the decision to separate regulatory and service-provider functions within the civil aviation system, calling for swift implementation.

He further recommended reviewing alleged irregularities in the sector over the past 17 years and considering the privatization of Biman Bangladesh Airlines to improve efficiency.

Photo: Newly-appointed Civil Aviation and Tourism (MoCAT) Minister Afroza Khanam Rita and State Minister M. Rashiduzzaman Millat

Aviation analysts and sector insiders echoed similar concerns, emphasizing the urgent need to restructure Biman, whose fleet has declined to 14 aircraft amid route suspensions and operational inconsistencies.

They called for reconstituting the airline’s board with experienced aviation professionals and reviewing the recently signed agreement for 15 aircraft to assess its financial and technical viability.

They also stressed reopening and modernizing cargo facilities damaged by fire and ensuring optimal utilization of regional airports such as Cox's Bazar Airport, Shah Amanat International Airport, and Osmani International Airport.

The experts viewed the appointment of both a full minister and a state minister at MoCAT as a positive signal of renewed policy attention. However, they cautioned that without swift policy reform, institutional restructuring, and infrastructure activation, the aviation sector will continue to struggle to compete with dominant foreign carriers and achieve sustainable growth.