Dhaka, Oct 19, 20 (BSS) – The cabinet today gave nod to a draft of an air services agreement to be inked between Bangladesh and Austria to establish direct air connectivity between Dhaka and Vienna, capital cities of the two countries.
Chaired by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, the cabinet meeting gave the approval aimed at paving the way for establishing air connectivity among Bangladesh and other European countries.
While briefing newsmen at Bangladesh Secretariat here after the meeting, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that the cabinet today approved the agreement titled ‘Air services agreement between the Austrian Federal Government and the government of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh’.
In this connection, he said, “Once the direct flight operation is introduced between Dhaka and Vienna, trade, business, labour market and industry will be expanded between the countries alongside strengthening cooperation on the health and defence.”
He added that the agreement will help the process easier in establishing air connectivity with other European countries.
The prime minister attended the meeting from her official Ganabhaban residence while other cabinet members got connected to it from the Cabinet division through a video conference.
Anwarul also said that the air connectivity with Austria is very important for Bangladesh as headquarters of international agencies are housed in Vienna.
The agreement, however, has been framed following the standards of International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), he continued.
Under the proposed agreement, the countries will fix the number of passenger and cargo flights through consultations.
The air agencies nominated by the two countries can operate seven passenger and cargo flights a week under a MoU which is going to be signed on the day of signing the main agreement.
The cabinet secretary said that, a report on the progress regarding implementation of the decisions of the cabinet was placed in the meeting.
He added, “The cabinet has expressed its satisfaction over the implementation pace considering the pandemic situation.”
According to the report, around 83 percent decisions of the cabinet were implemented till January last.
As many as 48 meetings have so far been held which took 427 decisions in total till September 2020 since the government assumed office through the 2018 general election.
Around 82.90 percent of the decisions have so far been implemented while the remaining others are under implementation.
The cabinet however approved 17 polices, guidelines, strategies and action plans alongside endorsing or ratifying 19 bilateral and international agreements or protocols during the period.