Best Western International and Maple Leaf Hotel & Resorts Ltd have signed an agreement for a new-build hotel adjacent to Bangladesh's Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka. The airport handled 5.6 million passengers in 2012, expected to rise in the coming years with new airlines entering the market and more international carriers targeting Bangladesh."With a population of more than 160 million people - the eighth largest in the world - and a fast-growing manufacturing industry, Bangladesh is becoming an increasingly important regional and global player", says BWI's Vice President of International Operations for Asia and the Middle East, Glenn de Souza. "We are delighted to be able to offer a brand new international hotel located on the doorstep of the country's main air gateway", he adds. Construction has begun on the property, expected for completion in mid-2014. The Best Western Plus establishment will offer 56 guestrooms, all-day restaurant, a bar, fitness center, sauna, steam room and spa. The new Best Western Plus hotel will be the group's second establishment in Dhaka, following the 51-room Best Western La Vinci Hotel (Pictured). The company expects to expand further across Bangladesh with plans for at least three hotels in the coastal region.