From now on, the agreement will serve as the primary basis for aviation between the two countries.

The agreement was signed at the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism at the Secretariat by Civil Aviation and Tourism Senior Secretary Mahibul Haque on Behalf of Bangladesh and US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller on behalf of the United States.

The signing took place in the light of a prior agreement inked between the two countries in 2013.

According to the agreement signed between the two countries on the basis of open-air policy, both the countries can nominate any number of airlines as their designated airlines to operate flights between the two countries.

The designated airlines of each country will be able to operate any number of passenger and cargo aircraft by the third and fourth freedom rights.

The designated airlines of the two countries will also be able to operate any passenger aircraft and cargo aircraft by any aircraft at any intermediate or remote point in compliance with the fifth freedom right. Both countries will be able to operate flights through code sharing.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, State Minister for Civil Aviation and Tourism Md Mahbub Ali MP said the agreement signed between Bangladesh and the United States was a landmark step towards mutual cooperation in the aviation sector of the two countries.

“Today's air communication agreement is a testament to the strength of the existing friendship between Bangladesh and the United States,” he said.

“We’re working on the development of physical infrastructure as well as security at the airport on a priority basis. In recent times, there has been a visible improvement in security at Bangladesh's airports. This has also been reflected in the ICAO report. Bangladesh occupies an important place in the organisation's 2018 and 2019 safety regulations report,” he added.

Mahibul Haque said the agreement would play an important role in mutual cooperation and direct air communication between the two countries in the aviation sector.

“Also, work is underway to achieve the Category-1 designation set by the United States Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to start direct flights between the two countries,” he said.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Earl R Miller said the introduction of direct air communication will give a new dimension to the people-to-people relations between the two countries.

Chairman of Bangladesh Civil Aviation Authority Vice Marshal Mohammad Mofidur Rahman, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Sabbir Ahmed Chowdhury, Additional Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism Janendra Nath Sarkar were present at the signing ceremony.