A project that has been inactive for decades is showing new signs of activity. Three ministers are travelling to Bogura today to inspect the city's long-dormant airport in what officials describe as a concrete step toward transforming the facility into a fully operational commercial and international airport.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister Afroza Khanam Rita, her ministry's State Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, and Local Government and Rural Development State Minister Shahe Alam are undertaking the joint site visit. Their tour is expected to shape the next phase of planning for a project that has been in development since the 1990s but has yet to launch.

Air Commodore Abu Syed Mehbub Khan, Member (Operations and Planning) at the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB), said steps were being taken quickly to bring the airport into commercial use. "After the ministers complete their visit, we will move forward in accordance with their directives," he told reporters.

What exists on the ground

Located roughly 7 kilometers northwest of the main city, the site sits within the Erulia Union of Bogura Sadar Upazila; the airport currently functions as a STOL—short takeoff and landing—facility, spread across approximately 109 acres.

Its runway stands at 4,700 feet in length. Work is already underway to extend it to 6,000 feet, the minimum required to accommodate passenger aircraft such as the ATR-72.

The site also has a four-story terminal building, a two-story fire station, and a power house. However, the absence of runway lighting makes night operations impossible, and the existing infrastructure cannot handle large commercial aircraft.

Since 2006, the Bangladesh Air Force has primarily used the facility for training.

An ambitious upgrade plan

The government envisions developing the airport in phases toward international standards. In the first phase, a 9,000-foot runway — 150 feet wide — is planned on approximately 400 acres of land, with provisions for later expansion to 10,000 feet.

The entire project is estimated to cost around Tk 3,000 crore and will require a total of roughly 900 acres, of which approximately 700 acres will need to be newly acquired.

CAAB is the implementing agency, with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and Tourism providing administrative oversight. As part of technical preparations, the process of appointing the Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) as project consultant is underway.

The scope of the consultancy includes a feasibility study, master plan, pavement design, and detailed architectural plans for a modern terminal building.

Meanwhile, speaking to journalists in Dhaka on May 4, Minister Afroza Khanam Rita also disclosed that a flying academy will be established alongside the airport to train future pilots—an addition that broadens the project's ambitions beyond commercial aviation alone.

The biggest obstacle: land acquisition

Acquiring 700 acres of new land in and around an established area poses the project's most formidable challenge. The acquisition will affect numerous residential homesteads and agricultural plots, raising the prospect of resistance from local communities—a concern that officials have not dismissed.

Impact on regional economy 

Supporters of the project argue that its impact would extend well beyond Bogura. The surrounding districts of Joypurhat, Naogaon, Gaibandha, Jamalpur, and Sirajganj stand to benefit directly. Faster transport and export channels for agricultural produce—vegetables in particular—could open up, while new industries and investment are expected to follow. Together, these developments are expected to accelerate employment and inject momentum into a regional economy that has long lacked direct air connectivity.

The project's revival comes after Prime Minister Tarique Rahman directed the current government to pursue the conversion of Bogura into a full-scale airport. Today's ministerial visit, officials indicate, is the first visible step toward delivering on that instruction—though the scale of land acquisition required means that the road ahead remains far from straightforward.

Experts estimate that the operational airport will bring Bogura within a 15-to-20-minute flight of the capital.