About 115-120 species of birds roam the two city corporation areas of Dhaka. Of these, 66-67 species roam the Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport area of Dhaka, some of which are posing a risk to flight operations. This information has emerged from a study. Bangladesh Agricultural University conducted this study at the request of the airport authority.
Bangladesh Agricultural University Professor Dr. Anwarul Haque Beg presented the research information at a discussion meeting organized by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh(CAAB) yesterday. The topic of discussion was to determine what needs to be done to ensure flight operations in the country in the wake of recent aircraft accidents in different countries.
Dr. Anwarul Haque Beg said, “We do not know the information about how many birds are in the airport area. 115-120 species of birds roam the Dhaka City Corporation area. Of these, 66-67 species of birds roam the Shahjalal Airport area. However, not all birds are risky for flight operations. Basically, five to six species of birds can pose a risk. The black gull poses the greatest risk. In addition, domesticated pigeons can also pose a risk to flight operations at times, which has been seen in the airport area.’
The research was conducted by inspecting 129 places within 10 kilometers of the airport, said Professor Dr. Anwarul Haque Beg. He said, ‘The inspection found 3,886 hotels and restaurants in the area, 22 percent of which are temporary. There are 753 raw markets, 663 slaughterhouses and 1,335 waste disposal centers. There are also a lot of trees, beels, reservoirs, canals and rivers. Overall, the area has become a center for the migration of various types of birds, including gulls and crows, due to the natural and man-made environment.’
The researcher placed special emphasis on reducing the food and breeding areas of birds to protect flight operations. Earlier, in a presentation, AAMM Shamsuzzaman, Head of Safety Management of private airline US Bangla Airlines, said that birds pose a safety risk to aircraft operations. Stating that the risk of bird strikes is much higher in Bangladesh compared to other countries in the world, he said, “Whereas in other countries the risk rate is 0.5 percent, in Bangladesh the rate is 1.73 percent.”
A Jeju Air plane crashed while landing at Muan International Airport in South Korea on December 29, killing 179 people. It is initially believed that the accident may have occurred due to a bird hitting one of the aircraft’s engines. Referring to this, officials of the state-owned flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines, private airline Novoair and Air Astra expressed concern about the movement of birds at the country’s airports.
However, the airport authorities have said that they will take appropriate action in this regard. In this regard, Shahjalal Airport Executive Director Group Captain Kamrul Islam said in yesterday’s meeting, “The most dangerous bird in Shahjalal is the chile species. A major source of food for these birds is various waste disposal centers. We are in discussions with the City Corporation to relocate the waste disposal centers in the airport area. Apart from this, we have a bird control monitoring system. We use sound guns in five areas of the airport. We are also planning to use laser lights to prevent birds. Apart from this, our shooters also work. We are against killing birds. Despite that, we sometimes have to take such steps to protect aircraft and passengers.” Speaking as the chief guest at the meeting, CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Manjur Kabir Bhuiyan said, “All possible steps are being taken to ensure maximum security in the airspace. “Work continues to build a safe aviation environment through the joint efforts of the aviation industry and aviation stakeholders.” He urged stakeholders to work collaboratively to identify risks and find ways to mitigate them.
