The Lalmonirhat Airport has been abandoned for five decades. It would bring economic revolution in the Rangpur region if reopened.
According to experts, it could open new channels for communication and significantly boost the importance of land ports like Burimari in Lalmonirhat and Sonahat in Kurigram.
This airport was once of great importance. It was built during the British era, covering 1,166 acres. It has been abandoned since the partition of British India in 1947. The large facility features a runway that is nearly four miles long, a vast tarmac, hangars, and taxiways.
Currently, the port area is used as an agricultural farm by Bangladesh Air Force.
A small-scale service started operating at the airport in 1958. After the country’s independence, there were plans to make it the headquarters of the Bangladesh Air Force in 1972. However, these plans were never implemented.
In 1983, the air force started operating an agricultural project here. They established a cattle farm and engaged in agricultural activities under military supervision. However, without a boundary wall, local residents allow their goats, cows, and sheep to graze on the runway.
Altafur Rahman, a senior journalist from Lalmonirhat, expressed frustration that no government has taken the initiative to reopen this airport which is also the second largest in Asia. He believes that reviving the airport would open up economic opportunities in Rangpur and the surrounding regions, and increase growth in education, healthcare, and cross-border interactions.
Local businesspeople believe that reopening the airport would unravel significant economic potential and business opportunities.
Afzal Hossain, a director of the Lalmonirhat Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), pointed out that the district is about 500 kilometres far from Dhaka which requires 10-12 hours of travel by road. This causes immense inconvenience for both businesspeople and students.
Abdul Hamid Babu, president of the LCCI, emphasised that reopening the airport would make travel much easier for both the general public and entrepreneurs.
The district commissioner, HM Raqib Hayder, stated that since arriving in the district, he learned about various local issues, including the demand to reopen the airport. He expressed hope that the demand would be recognised.
People from Rangpur, Gaibandha, Kurigram, and Lalmonirhat are eagerly waiting for the airport to reopen, hoping that it will be undertaken under the leadership of Chief Adviser to the Interim Government Professor Muhammad Yunus.
Translated & edited by Fariha Nowshin Chinika
