Dhaka’s plan to revive the long-defunct Bogra Airport in northern Bangladesh has drawn the attention of Indian security analysts, given the airfield’s proximity to the international border and its dual-use potential. The project is part of a broader initiative to reactivate at least three dormant airports within a year.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has allocated BDT 1,200 crore to operationalise Bogra Airport within six months. The initiative, officials say, aims to stimulate regional development and strengthen connectivity around industrial hubs and tourist destinations, including Mahasthangarh.
While the project is officially framed as an economic and civil aviation boost, Indian defence observers are closely monitoring its implications for aerial security. Bogra already hosts a Bangladesh Air Force radar unit, recently upgraded in June 2025 with the GM 403M air defence radar system, enhancing the country’s northern aerial surveillance.
“The radar upgrade has already enhanced Bangladesh’s northern air defence capabilities,” said a senior Indian security official. “If the Bogra airfield is reopened for dual use, it could change the aerial monitoring dynamics along the northern sector.”
Historically, the airbase has served military purposes, including Air Force training exercises. Its 3,000-foot concrete runway, combined with the new radar’s long-range tracking capacity, presents capabilities that analysts note could extend Bangladesh’s strategic monitoring.
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CAAB Chairman Air Vice Marshal Md Manjur Kabir Bhuiyan emphasised the economic potential, highlighting Bogra’s industrial estates, including Essential Drugs and Uttara Motors, alongside an estimated 5,000 annual foreign tourists. “Reopening Bogra Airport would bring significant economic benefit to the region,” he said.
However, the blending of civil and military infrastructure has raised strategic concerns in New Delhi. Indian analysts note that the revival of World War II–era airports such as Lalmonirhat, near the Siliguri Corridor connecting India’s northeastern states, has already created unease.
“While the Bogra project is being presented as economic modernization, India must consider its security ramifications in the broader context of China’s expanding footprint in Bangladesh,” said a Kolkata-based defence analyst.
Land encroachment and financial constraints remain challenges, yet CAAB has reaffirmed its commitment to reclaiming occupied land and reactivating three airports within the next year. Indian observers remain vigilant, wary that the dual-use airfields could indirectly enhance Bangladesh’s defence readiness while inviting interest from foreign powers like China and the US.
As the interim Bangladeshi government under Mohammed Yunus presses forward with the airport revival programme, the Bogra site, and its upgraded radar system, will continue to draw close scrutiny from New Delhi.
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