BAF Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker
BAF Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker  বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনী ঘাঁটি বীর উত্তম একে খন্দকার | |||||||||||
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 Runway of the airbase | |||||||||||
| Summary | |||||||||||
| Airport type | Military | ||||||||||
| Operator | Bangladesh Air Force | ||||||||||
| Location | Kurmitola, Dhaka, Bangladesh | ||||||||||
| Opened | 9 April 2013 | ||||||||||
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| Coordinates | 23°50′13″N 90°23′55″E / 23.8369473°N 90.3986193°E | ||||||||||
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  BAF Base BU AK Khandker Location in Bangladesh  BAF Base BU AK Khandker BAF Base BU AK Khandker (Dhaka division)  BAF Base BU AK Khandker BAF Base BU AK Khandker (Bangladesh) | |||||||||||
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BAF Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker, (commonly known as BAF Base Kurmitola; formerly known as BAF Base Bangabandhu) is one of nine Bangladesh Air Force bases[1][2] located at Kurmitola, Dhaka in Bangladesh.[3] It is situated near Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport. The base is named after former Chief of Air Staff A. K. Khandker.[4]
History
In 1941, during the Second World War, the British government built a landing strip at Kurmitola, several kilometres north of Tejgaon, as a spare landing strip for the Tejgaon Airport, which at the time was a military airport, to operate warplanes towards the war fields of Kohima (then in Assam) and Burmese war theatres. In 1981, the landing strip was converted into an international airport.[5] At the same area, a new airbase was built and inaugurated on 9 April 2013 with the name BAF Base Bangabandhu, after Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the first President of Bangladesh and then prime minister Sheikh Hasina's father.[6] On 10 December 2014, a jet trainer named Hongdu K-8W was included to the airbase.[7] On 4 December 2016, it was granted national standard by the third Hasina ministry.[8] On 9 March 2025, the base was renamed BAF Base Bir Uttom A. K. Khandker, after A. K. Khandker, the first Chief of Air Staff of Bangladesh Air Force and Deputy Chief of Staff of Mukti Bahini, by the interim government.[1]
Accidents and incidents
On 21 July 2025, a Chengdu FT-7BGI trainer jet crashed into the Milestone College campus while attempting to land at the airbase. 35 people, including the pilot, were killed as a result of the crash.[9] 173 others suffered injuries from the crash.[10]
References
- ^ a b শেখ পরিবারের নামে থাকা ৮ সংস্থা-প্রতিষ্ঠান-স্থাপনার নাম পরিবর্তন [Names of 8 organizations, institutions and establishments in the name of Sheikh family changed]. Jago News 24 (in Bengali). 9 March 2025. Archived from the original on 9 March 2025. Retrieved 9 March 2025.
- ^ বরিশাল ও সিলেটে বিমান ঘাঁটি করার ঘোষণা প্রধানমন্ত্রীর. Dhakatimes24.com (in Bengali). 31 December 2017. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ আইএসপিআর (20 November 2024). বাংলাদেশ বিমান বাহিনীর আন্তঃঘাঁটি এ্যাথলেটিক্স প্রতিযোগিতা সমাপ্ত (in Bengali). Inter-Services Public Relations. Archived from the original on 15 February 2025. Retrieved 15 February 2025.
- ^ "BAF Base renamed as 'BAF Base Bir Uttam AK Khandker'". The Business Standard. 10 April 2025. Archived from the original on 22 May 2025. Retrieved 22 May 2025.
- ^ Hasan, Delwar (2016) [2012]. "হজরত শাহজালাল আন্তর্জাতিক বিমানবন্দর" [Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport]. Encyclopedia of Dhaka (in Bengali). Dhaka: Asiatic Society of Bangladesh. p. 400. ISBN 9789845120197.
- ^ বিমান বাহিনী ঘাঁটি বঙ্গবন্ধুর উদ্বোধন. Banglanews24.com (in Bengali). 9 April 2013. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ ২১ সালের মধ্যে বিমান বাহিনীর আধুনিকায়ন. Prothom Alo (in Bengali). 11 December 2014. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ বিমান বাহিনী ঘাঁটি বঙ্গবন্ধুর মর্যাদাপূর্ণ ন্যাশনাল স্ট্যান্ডার্ড অর্জন. Kaler Kantho (in Bengali). 4 December 2016. Retrieved 1 November 2024.
- ^ Alam , Julhas; Armus, Teo; Schmidt, Samantha; Carpio, Helena; Hernández, Arelis R.; Vazquez, Maegan; Strobel, Warren; Rodriguez, Sabrina; Roebuck, Jeremy; O'Grady, Siobhán; Korolchuk, Serhii; Sima, Richard (22 July 2025). "Bangladesh students protest after air force jet crash into school kills 32". The Washington Post. AP. Retrieved 23 July 2025.
- ^ Hasnat, Saif; Travelli, Alex. "Bangladesh Mourns After Deadly Plane Crash During School Lunch Break". The New York Times.
External links
Media related to BAF Base Kurmitola at Wikimedia Commons