Rajshahi Shah Makhdum Airport: Development work worth hundreds of crores of taka has not been completed despite the deadline

Almost four years have passed since the scheduled time. Although it was supposed to be completed by June 2022, the development and modernization project worth hundreds of crores of taka of Rajshahi's Shah Makhdum Airport has not been completed even in 2026. As a result, this important airport in the northern region is still not able to operate at full capacity. On the one hand, the number of passengers is increasing, on the other hand, important infrastructural developments such as runway expansion, new terminal building and cargo facilities are stuck in a long queue. According to relevant sources, the government...

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Almost four years have passed since the scheduled time. Although it was supposed to be completed by June 2022, the development and modernization project worth hundreds of crores of taka of Rajshahi’s Shah Makhdum Airport has not been completed even in 2026. As a result, this important airport in the northern region is still not able to operate at full capacity. On the one hand, the number of passengers is increasing, on the other hand, important infrastructural developments such as runway expansion, new terminal building and cargo facilities are stuck in a long queue.
According to relevant sources, the government undertook the modernization project of Shah Makhdum Airport in 2020 to facilitate air travel for the people of the northwestern part of the country. The initial cost of the project is estimated at Tk 107 crore. The two-year project was supposed to be completed by June 2022. But even though the scheduled time has passed, the work has not been completed yet.
Under the project, a plan was taken to increase the airport’s 6,600-foot runway to 10,000 feet. At the same time, the width of the runway is to be increased from 100 feet to 150 feet. In addition, the size of the apron is also being increased, so that multiple aircraft can be parked at the same time. Currently, no more than one aircraft can take off or land at Shah Makhdum Airport at the same time. Once the modernization work is completed, three aircraft can be parked at the same time. In addition to passenger aircraft, cargo aircraft can also be operated.
In addition, a modern terminal building is being built at the airport. The ground floor area of ​​​​this two-story building will be 17 thousand square feet and the second floor will be 11 thousand square feet. The area of ​​​​the entire complex, including the control tower and other facilities, will be about 31 thousand square feet. The new terminal will have modern check-in counters, spacious concourse halls, departure and arrival lounges, snacks corner and VIP lounge. In addition to improving the quality of passenger service, this design has also taken into account future needs.
The number of passengers on the Rajshahi-Dhaka route has increased significantly in the last few years. Due to the increase in passenger demand, government and private airlines have also increased the number of flights. Currently, Bangladesh Biman and US-Bangla Airlines operate a total of six flights daily. More than forty flights operate weekly. The demand for this route is constantly increasing, especially among government officials, businessmen, students and medical service recipients. Airport officials say that once the modernization project is completed, more flights will be operated, large aircraft will land and goods will be transported. This will have a positive impact on the economy of the northern region including Rajshahi. Known for agricultural production, the Rajshahi region has a huge demand for mangoes, litchis, vegetables and other agricultural products both at home and abroad. But due to the lack of direct air transport, producers and exporters face various problems. The businessmen concerned believe that if cargo flights are opened, it will be possible to quickly send Rajshahi’s agricultural products to the capital and foreign markets. This will get good prices for farmers and increase export income. Business leaders of Rajshahi say that the modernization of the airport will not only create new opportunities in the communication sector, but also in the trade and investment of the entire region.
There was a long stagnation in the history of Shah Makhdum Airport. Due to lack of passengers, flights on the Rajshahi-Dhaka route were suspended on January 20, 2007. After being closed for almost eight years, flights on this route were resumed in 2015. After that, the number of passengers gradually increased. Currently, this route is known as one of the busiest domestic air routes in the northern region. Currently, the popularity of this airport has increased several times more than before.
As the project has not been completed even after the stipulated time of four years, questions have arisen among the locals. As the construction work has not been completed even after 4 long years, questions have been raised about the quality of the work. An airport official, who did not want to be named, said that a powerful syndicate is working around the development work of the airport. Since the public does not have access inside, many development works are being irregular. No one can speak against them here. Representatives of civil society say that the delay in nationally important infrastructure projects is against the public interest. They demanded that the airport be fully operational after completing the work quickly.
When asked about this, Project Director Superintendent Engineer Aminul Hasib refused to provide any information. However, Airport Manager Dilara Parveen said that the work could not be completed within the stipulated time. For this reason, the project period has been extended by another year. She said, “The airport modernization work is ongoing. It took time due to some technical and practical reasons. We hope that the remaining work of the project will be completed within the extended period.”
The people of Rajshahi, who have been waiting for development work for a long time, expect that the modernization project will be completed quickly and Shah Makhdum Airport will become a full-fledged regional airport. Not only will passenger services improve, but new horizons will be opened for business, tourism and agricultural exports in the northern region, according to those concerned.