Staff Correspondent, Dhaka:
Despite concerns and objections from India, the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is moving forward with the installation of a new, advanced radar system at the Lalmonirhat air base near the India–Bangladesh border. Reliable sources confirm that construction of a new hangar for fighter aircraft has recently resumed, and equipment for the new radar system has already arrived at the base.
According to Bangladeshi security sources cited by Northeast News, components of the new radar system were brought to the Lalmonirhat air base by truck around two weeks ago. The system will replace and modernize existing older radar infrastructure. Plans for constructing a concrete platform and necessary buildings for the installation have also been finalized.
This development comes shortly after an inspection visit on 16 October by a three-member team led by a Major General from the Indian Military Intelligence (MI), alongside Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman. Following the visit, construction of the fighter jet hangar was briefly halted, but work has now resumed in full force. The remaining sections, including the roof and bay walls, are nearly complete. The hangar will be capable of housing at least 10–12 fighter aircraft.
Indications of Chinese Involvement
There are signs that China may be involved in supplying the radar. A previous Northeast News report stated that on 13 May, Major General Abu Bakar Siddiq Khan of the Bangladesh Army’s Master General of Ordnance branch and other senior officials met a four-member delegation from China’s China Vanguard Co. Ltd. Discussions reportedly covered procurement of HQ-17AE surface-to-air missiles (SAM), JSG radar systems, and FK-3 medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MSAM). The JSG-400 TDR radar is part of China’s HQ-9BE air and missile defense system, used for guiding interceptors against ballistic missiles.
Modernization of the Air Force
The Bangladesh Air Force has recently taken several steps to strengthen its air defense network. On 18 June, a GM 403-M long-range air surveillance radar was commissioned in Bogura. Two months earlier, the first GM 403-M radar under the 71st Squadron was installed in Mirpur, Dhaka. Manufactured by France’s Thales Raytheon Systems (TRS), this digital 3D radar can accurately detect targets ranging from low-flying tactical aircraft to small UAVs.
The installation of the new radar and construction of the hangar at Lalmonirhat are viewed as significant components of Bangladesh’s broader air defense modernization, although the developments have raised strategic concerns in neighboring India.
