DHAKA, Aug 24, 2026 (BSS) – Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat today said Cox’s Bazar International Airport will be inaugurated in October next by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

“The airport will be formally inaugurated in October. Alongside Biman Bangladesh Airlines, different international airlines will also operate flights from Cox’s Bazar International Airport,” he said.

The minister made the remarks during a courtesy meeting with members of the Aviation and Tourism Journalists’ Forum of Bangladesh (ATJFB), an organisation of journalists covering the country’s aviation and tourism sectors, at Bangladesh Secretariat.

Millat said work to transform Cox’s Bazar Airport into an international airport is progressing, while several foreign airlines have already expressed interest in operating flights from the country’s premier tourist destination.

He said initiatives have been taken to launch direct international flights from Cox’s Bazar through communication and coordination with international airlines.

Referring to the Third Terminal of Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport (HSIA), the minister said the government is moving ahead with preparations to make the terminal operational in December.

“We are moving forward with the target of making the terminal operational in December. Necessary preparations are underway to this end,” he said.

Millat said an agreement with the Japanese consortium for the Third Terminal will be signed next month.

Once operational, he said, the Third Terminal will further enhance HSIA’s capacity and improve the quality of passenger services, helping ensure international-standard services at the country’s main international gateway.

During the meeting, ATJFB President Tanzim Anwar congratulated Millat on behalf of the organisation on assuming his ministerial responsibility.

ATJFB General Secretary Baten Biplob and other members of the organisation were present, among others.

PM directs feasibility study on reintroducing universal stipends for girls

DHAKA, Aug 24, 2026 (BSS)- Prime Minister Tarique Rahman today asked the authorities concerned to assess the feasibility of reintroducing universal stipends for female students from Class VI to the undergraduate level.

He gave the directive at a meeting of the Prime Minister’s Education Assistance Trust at the Cabinet Division at the Secretariat this afternoon, said PM’s Deputy Press Secretary Shahadat Shadhin.

The meeting stressed preparing a clear proposal analysing the possible cost, number of beneficiaries, implementation mechanism, and expected social and educational impacts of reinstating the universal stipend programme for girls.

The Prime Minister was also briefed in detail about the ongoing activities, objectives and goals of the Education Assistance Trust, including its role in preventing dropout by providing financial assistance to students throughout their educational journey.

The meeting also discussed providing stipends to boys based on merit and eligibility to encourage them to continue their education.

The meeting reviewed the impact and achievements of the universal stipend programme for girls introduced during the tenure of former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia.

However, the programme had a positive impact on girls’ school attendance and retention in education, while also helping discourage child marriage, Shahadat said, quoting the meeting.

The meeting also placed equal emphasis on students’ nutrition and health protection alongside improving the quality of education.

It discussed in detail various aspects of managing school-level mid-day meal programmes, ensuring nutritional quality, and preparing and supplying safe food for children.

The Prime Minister stressed that food supplied to students must be nutritious, safe and of high quality, and that there should be no compromise on the issue.

Shahadat said the meeting discussed two alternative approaches to implementing the mid-day meal programme, considering cost, management efficiency, local-level participation and food quality control.

The Prime Minister directed that pilot projects of the two approaches be launched in two separate districts to assess their effectiveness, feasibility and potential outcomes.

Education Minister Dr. ANM Ehsanul Hoque Milon, Prime Minister’s Adviser on Education and Spokesperson Mahdi Amin, Education Secretary Abdul Khaleque, Prime Minister’s Additional Press Secretary Atikur Rahman Ruman and relevant officials attended the meeting.