Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
Ceremonial Flypast at BAF Base Bir Uttam A K Khandkerr, Dhaka
Loading...
Press space to scroll through posts
Bangladesh Defense
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
Air chief leaves Dhaka for official visit to Italy
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan left Dhaka for Italy today on an official visit, according to an ISPR press release
Air chief leaves Dhaka for official visit to Italy
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan. Photo: ISPR
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan left Dhaka for Italy today on an official visit, according to an ISPR press release.
The air chief will visit Italy from May 8-14, 2025, said the release.
During the visit, the chief of Air Staff will attend AeroSpace Power Conference (ASPC) 2025 on May 8–9 at the invitation of Lieutenant General Luca Goretti, chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force.
Air chiefs, military and civil high officials of different countries will attend this occasion.
Besides, the air chief will visit Leonardo Facilities at the invitation of the Italian military equipment manufacturer Leonardo SpA.
It is expected that the visit will play a vital role in strengthening the bilateral relationship and enhancing the scope of mutual cooperation in the professional sectors between Bangladesh and Italy.
The air chief is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on May 16 following the conclusion of his visit, added the release.
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan. Photo: ISPR
Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan left Dhaka for Italy today on an official visit, according to an ISPR press release.
The air chief will visit Italy from May 8-14, 2025, said the release.
During the visit, the chief of Air Staff will attend AeroSpace Power Conference (ASPC) 2025 on May 8–9 at the invitation of Lieutenant General Luca Goretti, chief of Staff of the Italian Air Force.
Air chiefs, military and civil high officials of different countries will attend this occasion.
Besides, the air chief will visit Leonardo Facilities at the invitation of the Italian military equipment manufacturer Leonardo SpA.
It is expected that the visit will play a vital role in strengthening the bilateral relationship and enhancing the scope of mutual cooperation in the professional sectors between Bangladesh and Italy.
The air chief is scheduled to return to Bangladesh on May 16 following the conclusion of his visit, added the release.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
বাংলাদেশের ২০ মিগ-২৯ ইঞ্জিনের মধ্যে সচল মাত্র ৬টি—৩৮০ কোটি টাকার মেরামত চুক্তির উদ্যোগ
ওয়ারপাওয়ারবাংলাদেশ ডটকম-এর তথ্য অনুযায়ী, বাংলাদেশ বিমানবাহিনীর মোট ২১২টি বিমান রয়েছে, যার মধ্যে যুদ্ধবিমান ৪৪টি। এর মধ্যে ৩৬টিই চীনের তৈরি এফ-৭এস।
বাংলাদেশের ২০ মিগ-২৯ ইঞ্জিনের মধ্যে সচল মাত্র ৬টি—৩৮০ কোটি টাকার মেরামত চুক্তির উদ্যোগ
ওয়ার পাওয়ার বাংলাদেশ ডটকম-এর তথ্য অনুযায়ী, বাংলাদেশ বিমানবাহিনীর মোট ২১২টি বিমান রয়েছে, যার মধ্যে যুদ্ধবিমান ৪৪টি। এর মধ্যে ৩৬টিই চীনের তৈরি এফ-৭এস।
বাংলাদেশের আটটি মিগ-২৯ যুদ্ধবিমানের মাত্র ছয়টি ইঞ্জিন বর্তমানে সচল রয়েছে। এ অবস্থায় অচল ইঞ্জিনগুলোর মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়াতে রুশ কোম্পানি জেএসসি এনএএসসি-র সঙ্গে চুক্তি করতে যাচ্ছে সরকার; এতে মোট ব্যয় হবে প্রায় ৩৮০ কোটি টাকা।
সূত্রমতে, ১২টি ইঞ্জিন মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়াতে রুশ কোম্পানিটির সঙ্গে চুক্তি করার বিষয়ে সম্প্রতি অর্থ মন্ত্রণালয়ের সম্মতি চেয়েছে বিমান বাহিনী সদর দপ্তর। চলতি অর্থবছর থেকে ২০২৭-২৮ অর্থবছর পর্যন্ত চার বছরে রুশ কোম্পানিটিকে বিল পরিশোধ করা হবে।
সূত্র জানায়, আটটি মিগ-২৯ যুদ্ধবিমান উড্ডয়ন ও পরিচালনার জন্য অন্তত ১৬টি সচল ইঞ্জিন প্রয়োজন।
চলতি অর্থবছরে বিমানগুলোর ইঞ্জিন মেরামতের জন্য প্রতিরক্ষা ক্রয় মহাপরিদপ্তরের (ডিজিডিপি) মাধ্যমে দরপত্র আহ্বান করে সরকার। এতে চারটি দরদাতা প্রতিষ্ঠান অংশগ্রহণ করে। এর মধ্যে দুটি প্রতিষ্ঠানের দরপ্রস্তাব কারিগরিভাবে গৃহীত হয়।
সর্বনিম্ন দরদাতা হিসেবে সরবরাহকারী প্রতিষ্ঠান রাশিয়ার জেএসসি এনএএসসির প্রস্তাবটি বিমানসদর যোগ্য বিবেচনা করে। প্রতিষ্ঠানটি প্রাথমিক আর্থিক দরপ্রস্তাবে ১২টি ইঞ্জিন মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়ানোর জন্য ৩৪.১ মিলিয়ন ডলার প্রস্তাব করে। পরে আলোচনার মাধ্যমে তা কমিয়ে ৩০.৬ মিলিয়ন ডলারে নামিয়ে আনা হয়।
এর সঙ্গে ভ্যাট, এজেন্সি কমিশন, সুইফট চার্জসহ মোট ব্যয় হবে প্রায় ৩৭৯.৬৮ কোটি টাকা। বিমানবাহিনী নিশ্চিত করেছে, বরাদ্দকৃত বাজেট সিলিংয়ের মধ্যে সীমাবদ্ধ থেকেই এ অর্থ পরিশোধ করা হবে।
প্রতিরক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয় ২০২৪-২৫ ও ২০২৫-২৬ অর্থবছরের জন্য চুক্তি সম্পাদন করতে প্রাথমিক অনুমোদন দিয়েছে। বাজেট সংকুলানের কারণে পর্যায়ক্রমে চলতি অর্থবছর থেকে ২০২৭-২৮ অর্থবছর পর্যন্ত চার বছরে অর্থ পরিশোধ করা হবে। এখন অর্থ মন্ত্রণালয় অনুমোদন করলেই চুক্তি স্বাক্ষর হবে।
সূত্র জানায়, আটটি মিগ-২৯ বিমানের মধ্যে ২০১৮-১৯ অর্থবছরে চারটি বিমানের ওভারহল, আয়ুষ্কাল বর্ধিতকরণ ও আধুনিকায়ন করা হয়েছে, যার টাইম বিটুইন ওভারহল (টিবিও) আয়ুষ্কাল ২০৩০ সালের জুন পর্যন্ত বিদ্যমান।
বাকি চারটি বিমানের ওভারহল, আয়ুষ্কাল বর্ধিতকরণ ও আধুনিকায়ন করার লক্ষ্যে ২০২৩-২৪ অর্থবছরে একটি চুক্তি করা হয় এবং ওই চুক্তির আওতায় বিমানগুলো ওভারহল করার জন্য ওভারহলিং প্রতিষ্ঠান বেলারুশের জেএসসি ৫৫৮ এয়ারক্রাফট রিপেয়ার প্ল্যান্ট-এ পাঠানো হয়েছে। ওভারহল শেষে এই বিমানগুলো ২০২৫ সালের অক্টোবর নাগাদ ফের বিমানবাহিনীতে যুক্ত হবে। আওয়ামী লীগ সরকারের সময় রাশিয়ার কাছ থেকে এসব যুদ্ধবিমান কেনা হয়েছিল।
অচল মিগ-২৯ ইঞ্জিনগুলো মেরামত করতে প্রায় তিন বছর ধরে নানাভাবে চেষ্টা করেও ইউক্রেন-রাশিয়া যুদ্ধের কারণে সফল হয়নি বাংলাদেশ।
ওয়ার পাওয়ার বাংলাদেশ ডটকম-এর তথ্য অনুযায়ী, বাংলাদেশ বিমানবাহিনীর মোট ২১২টি বিমান রয়েছে, যার মধ্যে যুদ্ধবিমান ৪৪টি। এর মধ্যে ৩৬টিই চীনের তৈরি এফ-৭এস।
বাংলাদেশের আটটি মিগ-২৯ যুদ্ধবিমানের মাত্র ছয়টি ইঞ্জিন বর্তমানে সচল রয়েছে। এ অবস্থায় অচল ইঞ্জিনগুলোর মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়াতে রুশ কোম্পানি জেএসসি এনএএসসি-র সঙ্গে চুক্তি করতে যাচ্ছে সরকার; এতে মোট ব্যয় হবে প্রায় ৩৮০ কোটি টাকা।
সূত্রমতে, ১২টি ইঞ্জিন মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়াতে রুশ কোম্পানিটির সঙ্গে চুক্তি করার বিষয়ে সম্প্রতি অর্থ মন্ত্রণালয়ের সম্মতি চেয়েছে বিমান বাহিনী সদর দপ্তর। চলতি অর্থবছর থেকে ২০২৭-২৮ অর্থবছর পর্যন্ত চার বছরে রুশ কোম্পানিটিকে বিল পরিশোধ করা হবে।
সূত্র জানায়, আটটি মিগ-২৯ যুদ্ধবিমান উড্ডয়ন ও পরিচালনার জন্য অন্তত ১৬টি সচল ইঞ্জিন প্রয়োজন।
চলতি অর্থবছরে বিমানগুলোর ইঞ্জিন মেরামতের জন্য প্রতিরক্ষা ক্রয় মহাপরিদপ্তরের (ডিজিডিপি) মাধ্যমে দরপত্র আহ্বান করে সরকার। এতে চারটি দরদাতা প্রতিষ্ঠান অংশগ্রহণ করে। এর মধ্যে দুটি প্রতিষ্ঠানের দরপ্রস্তাব কারিগরিভাবে গৃহীত হয়।
সর্বনিম্ন দরদাতা হিসেবে সরবরাহকারী প্রতিষ্ঠান রাশিয়ার জেএসসি এনএএসসির প্রস্তাবটি বিমানসদর যোগ্য বিবেচনা করে। প্রতিষ্ঠানটি প্রাথমিক আর্থিক দরপ্রস্তাবে ১২টি ইঞ্জিন মেরামত, ওভারহল ও আয়ুষ্কাল বাড়ানোর জন্য ৩৪.১ মিলিয়ন ডলার প্রস্তাব করে। পরে আলোচনার মাধ্যমে তা কমিয়ে ৩০.৬ মিলিয়ন ডলারে নামিয়ে আনা হয়।
এর সঙ্গে ভ্যাট, এজেন্সি কমিশন, সুইফট চার্জসহ মোট ব্যয় হবে প্রায় ৩৭৯.৬৮ কোটি টাকা। বিমানবাহিনী নিশ্চিত করেছে, বরাদ্দকৃত বাজেট সিলিংয়ের মধ্যে সীমাবদ্ধ থেকেই এ অর্থ পরিশোধ করা হবে।
প্রতিরক্ষা মন্ত্রণালয় ২০২৪-২৫ ও ২০২৫-২৬ অর্থবছরের জন্য চুক্তি সম্পাদন করতে প্রাথমিক অনুমোদন দিয়েছে। বাজেট সংকুলানের কারণে পর্যায়ক্রমে চলতি অর্থবছর থেকে ২০২৭-২৮ অর্থবছর পর্যন্ত চার বছরে অর্থ পরিশোধ করা হবে। এখন অর্থ মন্ত্রণালয় অনুমোদন করলেই চুক্তি স্বাক্ষর হবে।
সূত্র জানায়, আটটি মিগ-২৯ বিমানের মধ্যে ২০১৮-১৯ অর্থবছরে চারটি বিমানের ওভারহল, আয়ুষ্কাল বর্ধিতকরণ ও আধুনিকায়ন করা হয়েছে, যার টাইম বিটুইন ওভারহল (টিবিও) আয়ুষ্কাল ২০৩০ সালের জুন পর্যন্ত বিদ্যমান।
বাকি চারটি বিমানের ওভারহল, আয়ুষ্কাল বর্ধিতকরণ ও আধুনিকায়ন করার লক্ষ্যে ২০২৩-২৪ অর্থবছরে একটি চুক্তি করা হয় এবং ওই চুক্তির আওতায় বিমানগুলো ওভারহল করার জন্য ওভারহলিং প্রতিষ্ঠান বেলারুশের জেএসসি ৫৫৮ এয়ারক্রাফট রিপেয়ার প্ল্যান্ট-এ পাঠানো হয়েছে। ওভারহল শেষে এই বিমানগুলো ২০২৫ সালের অক্টোবর নাগাদ ফের বিমানবাহিনীতে যুক্ত হবে। আওয়ামী লীগ সরকারের সময় রাশিয়ার কাছ থেকে এসব যুদ্ধবিমান কেনা হয়েছিল।
অচল মিগ-২৯ ইঞ্জিনগুলো মেরামত করতে প্রায় তিন বছর ধরে নানাভাবে চেষ্টা করেও ইউক্রেন-রাশিয়া যুদ্ধের কারণে সফল হয়নি বাংলাদেশ।
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
Air chief calls on chief adviser
Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday. The meeting was held in the afternoon at the state guest house Jamuna, said the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing. The meeting was held following the crash o
Air chief calls on chief adviser
UNB
Published :
Jul 23, 2025 19:43
Updated :
Jul 23, 2025 19:43
Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the afternoon at the state guest house Jamuna, said the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
The meeting was held following the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force jet into Milestone School and College in Dhaka, killing at least 29 people and injuring many others.
UNB
Published :
Jul 23, 2025 19:43
Updated :
Jul 23, 2025 19:43
Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan met Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus on Wednesday.
The meeting was held in the afternoon at the state guest house Jamuna, said the Chief Adviser’s Press Wing.
The meeting was held following the crash of a Bangladesh Air Force jet into Milestone School and College in Dhaka, killing at least 29 people and injuring many others.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
Air base essential to protect Dhaka’s sky: Air Force
An air base for fighter aircraft is essential in Dhaka to keep the sky of the capital city protected and to ensure its security, Bangladesh Air Force Air Commodore Shahidul Islam remarked on Monday. He said this while addressing a media conference at the Old PSC Building of Aviation University...
en.prothomalo.com
Air base essential to protect Dhaka’s sky: Air Force
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 28 Jul 2025, 20: 45
Bangladesh Air Force organised a media conference at the Old PSC Building of Aviation University in Tejgaon, Dhaka on 28 July 2025 Prothom Alo
An air base for fighter aircraft is essential in Dhaka to keep the sky of the capital city protected and to ensure its security, Bangladesh Air Force Air Commodore Shahidul Islam remarked on Monday.
He said this while addressing a media conference at the Old PSC Building of Aviation University in the capital’s Tejgaon area this afternoon.
Stating that no air base for training fighter aircraft will be shifted from Dhaka, Shahidul Islam further said it needs a huge space to conduct a fighter jet. At the same time, this air base is essential to ensure security of the capital’s sky. Such bases at capital cities are common around the globe.
Air Force’s emergency coordination centre’s Air Commodore Md Mizanur Rahman read out a written statement at the media conference.
The Air Force will remain with the families of the deceased and injured in the accident, he added. “Highest assistance will be provided to them, if necessary.”
A newsperson asked him, whether the pilot had communication with the air traffic control during the accident, Mizanur Rahman said, a high level investigation committee has been constituted in this regard. That committee will present its findings in detail.
He, however, informed the media conference that pilot Toukir had communication until the last moment.
Milestone School and College principal Jahangir Alam was present at the press conference.
He told the conference that out of 738 students, 538 were present at the school on the day of the accident.
When asked about the grill of the ground floor of the school building, he said, “The whole area was a low lying land once. Later, the area was filled with earth. But the grill was installed at the ground floor even before that, thinking about the security of the children.”
The principal further said they have not yet decided when the school would open.
Staff Correspondent Dhaka
Published: 28 Jul 2025, 20: 45
Bangladesh Air Force organised a media conference at the Old PSC Building of Aviation University in Tejgaon, Dhaka on 28 July 2025 Prothom Alo
An air base for fighter aircraft is essential in Dhaka to keep the sky of the capital city protected and to ensure its security, Bangladesh Air Force Air Commodore Shahidul Islam remarked on Monday.
He said this while addressing a media conference at the Old PSC Building of Aviation University in the capital’s Tejgaon area this afternoon.
Stating that no air base for training fighter aircraft will be shifted from Dhaka, Shahidul Islam further said it needs a huge space to conduct a fighter jet. At the same time, this air base is essential to ensure security of the capital’s sky. Such bases at capital cities are common around the globe.
Air Force’s emergency coordination centre’s Air Commodore Md Mizanur Rahman read out a written statement at the media conference.
The Air Force will remain with the families of the deceased and injured in the accident, he added. “Highest assistance will be provided to them, if necessary.”
A newsperson asked him, whether the pilot had communication with the air traffic control during the accident, Mizanur Rahman said, a high level investigation committee has been constituted in this regard. That committee will present its findings in detail.
He, however, informed the media conference that pilot Toukir had communication until the last moment.
Milestone School and College principal Jahangir Alam was present at the press conference.
He told the conference that out of 738 students, 538 were present at the school on the day of the accident.
When asked about the grill of the ground floor of the school building, he said, “The whole area was a low lying land once. Later, the area was filled with earth. But the grill was installed at the ground floor even before that, thinking about the security of the children.”
The principal further said they have not yet decided when the school would open.
Saif
Senior Member
- Joined
- Jan 24, 2024
- Messages
- 15,450
- Nation
- Axis Group
It’s time to modernise our air force
Urban density in Dhaka has surpassed the thresholds for safe air operations. Military and civil aviation now operate in a dangerously overlapping airspace.
It’s time to modernise our air force
Securing sovereignty in the air requires clarity of doctrine, capability for deterrence, and commitment to modernisation. PHOTO: PID
The crash of a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet into Milestone School on July 21, 2025, was a moment of national reckoning. It was not merely a tragic accident, but a visible consequence of accumulated neglect in planning. The human cost is now etched in our collective memory.
The crash exposed more than a mechanical fault. It revealed a strategic vacuum—a lack of alignment between the growth of the nation and the transformation of its air power. Against a backdrop of economic ambition, urban expansion, and regional volatility, the country's military infrastructure has not kept pace. This is not just a matter of decisive modernisation or equipment upgrades, but also a need to revisit the strategies guiding the country's airspace security.
Airspace security
Airspace is no longer an inert boundary, but rather a dynamic domain. Securing it requires layered surveillance, rapid response, and integrated command. For Bangladesh, the strategic urgency of airspace security cannot be overstated. It is bordered by India, a regional air power with robust force projection, and Myanmar, where militarisation and instability continue to intensify along the frontier.
The country's airspace is both congested and vulnerable—crowded with civil aviation, military operations, and increasingly unregulated drone traffic. These pose threats to critical installations and population centres. Sadly, what exists today is a patchwork system where reaction replaces anticipation, and gaps in coverage are filled with hope rather than capability.
The situation calls for Bangladesh to build a national airspace architecture with three pillars: persistent early warning systems, an agile interceptor fleet, and data fusion centres, enabling real-time coordination across military and civilian domains.
Power and politics
Air power is not a support arm, but rather a strategic determinant. It extends beyond the battlefield into the realms of diplomacy, deterrence, and doctrine. Countries project air power not only to defend but also to define their role in the geopolitical and geo-economic order.
This is evident across South Asia. India has expanded air bases in its northeast, not merely for national defence but for strategic signalling. It is integrating air capabilities with space-based intelligence and precision strike systems. Meanwhile, Myanmar's military junta, despite sanctions and diplomatic pressure, has invested significantly in combat aircraft to maintain internal control and regional posture.
Bangladesh cannot afford to remain static while its neighbours modernise. Air power is no longer about proximity. It is about presence and the ability to command the skies, matching the aspiration of a nation. Whether in response to cross-border threats, humanitarian missions, or geopolitical deterrence, the ability to command airspace must be a central element of Bangladesh's progress and prosperity.
Doctrine and deterrence
Singapore, with limited strategic depth and territorial skies, has crafted one of Asia's most credible air power doctrines. The strategy rests on pre-emption, networked platforms, and technological supremacy. It does not rely on size but on speed—of detection, decision, and delivery. Singapore's early warning aircraft are networked with data links and ground control. It invests not only in aircraft but in the operational ecosystem that makes the response effective. This is a lesson Bangladesh must heed: modern air power is not about numbers but about integration, agility, and the ability to act decisively.
Bangladesh's Forces Goal 2030 envisaged a shift in principle—a modern tri-service structure with strategic deterrence and interoperable capacities. But implementation remains sluggish. The Air Force is the slowest to modernise.
Without clarity of role, the Air Force becomes reactive. Without a broad employment strategy, procurement becomes piecemeal. Without credible deterrence, diplomacy is exposed to coercion. As regional air doctrines evolve towards integrated multi-domain operations, Bangladesh must not be caught in the inertia of past assumptions.
Beyond the budget
The idea that Bangladesh cannot afford air modernisation must be challenged. National security is not an abstract ideal. It is a public good, foundational to economic and social stability. A modern air force supports not only war deterrence but also disaster response, border surveillance, counterterrorism, and civil-military coordination. It is both a shield and an enabler of development.
At one percent of GDP—which has declined in recent years—Bangladesh's military expenditure lags behind its developmental trajectory and the accelerated growth of regional counterparts. This is not an argument for excessive militarisation, but for smart allocation, prioritising capabilities that deliver strategic returns.
Modernisation is not about prestige purchases but about capability integration—including Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) platforms, long-range multirole combat aircraft (MRCA), anti-drone systems, and electromagnetic warfare preparedness.
Bangladesh must move beyond episodic procurement and towards platform synergies—linking aircraft, surveillance, command, and electronic warfare into a cohesive force.
A fractured fragmentation
Urban density in Dhaka has surpassed the thresholds for safe air operations. Military and civil aviation now operate in a dangerously overlapping airspace. Yet air base relocation proposals—from Kurmitola to Trishal, and the planned shift to Arial Beel—remain incomplete or indefinitely deferred. These failures are not logistical. They are political and institutional, reflecting a dearth of strategic prioritisation.
Even among military institutions, there exists turf protection, outweighing strategic coherence and breeding risks. Bangladesh's defence planning must encompass land, water, aerial and hybrid dimensions. There is also an urgency for institutional reform to facilitate at least biannual joint-domain operations.
Mature modernisation
Securing sovereignty in the air requires clarity of doctrine, capability for deterrence, and commitment to modernise. A credible air force does not only defend the skies. It provides the reach, response, and resilience needed in a century where threats travel faster than ever before. It enables national development. It ensures that a growing economy is not hostage to security fragility.
The shocking event of July 21 marks a turning point not only in mourning, but also in meaning. Bangladesh must reimagine its defence thinking, reclaim its sky, and modernise with purpose—not merely to fly higher, but to think further.
Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir is professor at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka.
Securing sovereignty in the air requires clarity of doctrine, capability for deterrence, and commitment to modernisation. PHOTO: PID
The crash of a Bangladesh Air Force fighter jet into Milestone School on July 21, 2025, was a moment of national reckoning. It was not merely a tragic accident, but a visible consequence of accumulated neglect in planning. The human cost is now etched in our collective memory.
The crash exposed more than a mechanical fault. It revealed a strategic vacuum—a lack of alignment between the growth of the nation and the transformation of its air power. Against a backdrop of economic ambition, urban expansion, and regional volatility, the country's military infrastructure has not kept pace. This is not just a matter of decisive modernisation or equipment upgrades, but also a need to revisit the strategies guiding the country's airspace security.
Airspace security
Airspace is no longer an inert boundary, but rather a dynamic domain. Securing it requires layered surveillance, rapid response, and integrated command. For Bangladesh, the strategic urgency of airspace security cannot be overstated. It is bordered by India, a regional air power with robust force projection, and Myanmar, where militarisation and instability continue to intensify along the frontier.
The country's airspace is both congested and vulnerable—crowded with civil aviation, military operations, and increasingly unregulated drone traffic. These pose threats to critical installations and population centres. Sadly, what exists today is a patchwork system where reaction replaces anticipation, and gaps in coverage are filled with hope rather than capability.
The situation calls for Bangladesh to build a national airspace architecture with three pillars: persistent early warning systems, an agile interceptor fleet, and data fusion centres, enabling real-time coordination across military and civilian domains.
Power and politics
Air power is not a support arm, but rather a strategic determinant. It extends beyond the battlefield into the realms of diplomacy, deterrence, and doctrine. Countries project air power not only to defend but also to define their role in the geopolitical and geo-economic order.
This is evident across South Asia. India has expanded air bases in its northeast, not merely for national defence but for strategic signalling. It is integrating air capabilities with space-based intelligence and precision strike systems. Meanwhile, Myanmar's military junta, despite sanctions and diplomatic pressure, has invested significantly in combat aircraft to maintain internal control and regional posture.
Bangladesh cannot afford to remain static while its neighbours modernise. Air power is no longer about proximity. It is about presence and the ability to command the skies, matching the aspiration of a nation. Whether in response to cross-border threats, humanitarian missions, or geopolitical deterrence, the ability to command airspace must be a central element of Bangladesh's progress and prosperity.
Doctrine and deterrence
Singapore, with limited strategic depth and territorial skies, has crafted one of Asia's most credible air power doctrines. The strategy rests on pre-emption, networked platforms, and technological supremacy. It does not rely on size but on speed—of detection, decision, and delivery. Singapore's early warning aircraft are networked with data links and ground control. It invests not only in aircraft but in the operational ecosystem that makes the response effective. This is a lesson Bangladesh must heed: modern air power is not about numbers but about integration, agility, and the ability to act decisively.
Bangladesh's Forces Goal 2030 envisaged a shift in principle—a modern tri-service structure with strategic deterrence and interoperable capacities. But implementation remains sluggish. The Air Force is the slowest to modernise.
Without clarity of role, the Air Force becomes reactive. Without a broad employment strategy, procurement becomes piecemeal. Without credible deterrence, diplomacy is exposed to coercion. As regional air doctrines evolve towards integrated multi-domain operations, Bangladesh must not be caught in the inertia of past assumptions.
Beyond the budget
The idea that Bangladesh cannot afford air modernisation must be challenged. National security is not an abstract ideal. It is a public good, foundational to economic and social stability. A modern air force supports not only war deterrence but also disaster response, border surveillance, counterterrorism, and civil-military coordination. It is both a shield and an enabler of development.
At one percent of GDP—which has declined in recent years—Bangladesh's military expenditure lags behind its developmental trajectory and the accelerated growth of regional counterparts. This is not an argument for excessive militarisation, but for smart allocation, prioritising capabilities that deliver strategic returns.
Modernisation is not about prestige purchases but about capability integration—including Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) platforms, long-range multirole combat aircraft (MRCA), anti-drone systems, and electromagnetic warfare preparedness.
Bangladesh must move beyond episodic procurement and towards platform synergies—linking aircraft, surveillance, command, and electronic warfare into a cohesive force.
A fractured fragmentation
Urban density in Dhaka has surpassed the thresholds for safe air operations. Military and civil aviation now operate in a dangerously overlapping airspace. Yet air base relocation proposals—from Kurmitola to Trishal, and the planned shift to Arial Beel—remain incomplete or indefinitely deferred. These failures are not logistical. They are political and institutional, reflecting a dearth of strategic prioritisation.
Even among military institutions, there exists turf protection, outweighing strategic coherence and breeding risks. Bangladesh's defence planning must encompass land, water, aerial and hybrid dimensions. There is also an urgency for institutional reform to facilitate at least biannual joint-domain operations.
Mature modernisation
Securing sovereignty in the air requires clarity of doctrine, capability for deterrence, and commitment to modernise. A credible air force does not only defend the skies. It provides the reach, response, and resilience needed in a century where threats travel faster than ever before. It enables national development. It ensures that a growing economy is not hostage to security fragility.
The shocking event of July 21 marks a turning point not only in mourning, but also in meaning. Bangladesh must reimagine its defence thinking, reclaim its sky, and modernise with purpose—not merely to fly higher, but to think further.
Dr Rashed Al Mahmud Titumir is professor at the Department of Development Studies, University of Dhaka.
