Bagerhat, BD 🇧🇩 Closed Airport
BD-0042
-
21 ft
BD-4
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 22.6486° N, 89.6454° E
Continent: AS
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: Mongla Bagerhat KHL
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Not applicable (never opened). The project was initiated in 1996, but major construction was halted around 1998-2000 and has been stalled since.
Not applicable (never opened). The project was not closed, but rather construction was indefinitely stalled. The primary reasons for the halt were a lack of sufficient government funding, changes in political priorities, and significant cost escalations that made the original budget unfeasible.
The site remains an incomplete and abandoned construction project. Satellite imagery shows a large, cleared area with the faint outline of a runway that is now largely overgrown with grass and vegetation. The acquired land is mostly idle, with some reports of local residents using the area for informal activities such as cattle grazing or as a shortcut. No aviation infrastructure, such as a terminal building, control tower, or paved runway, was ever built.
The airport has no operational history as it was never completed. Its significance is purely strategic. It was conceived to be a vital piece of infrastructure for the southwestern region of Bangladesh. The primary objectives were to:
1. **Support Mongla Port:** Provide air logistics and passenger connectivity for Bangladesh's second-largest seaport.
2. **Boost Trade:** Facilitate business travel and cargo for the Mongla Export Processing Zone (EPZ).
3. **Promote Tourism:** Offer direct air access for tourists visiting the Sundarbans, the world's largest mangrove forest and a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the historic Mosque City of Bagerhat.
Initial work involved the acquisition of approximately 536 acres of land and some preliminary earth-filling for the runway and site preparation before the project stalled.
There are strong and recurring prospects for reviving the project. The Government of Bangladesh considers the airport crucial for regional economic development, especially following the opening of the Padma Bridge, which has significantly improved connectivity to the region. The project has been officially moved to a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) has been actively seeking domestic or foreign investors to complete the construction. While multiple announcements have been made over the years about restarting the work, a definitive construction timeline is not yet in place. The project's completion remains a high-priority goal for the government, but it is contingent on securing the necessary investment.
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