Since Bangladesh's independence in 1971, the transportation sector has grown rapidly and transportation medium on land and rivers have begun to develop. Air travel came into existence later. Though Bangladesh has greatly evolved in the transportation sector, it still has many flaws which hamper the development of other economic and social sectors. Transportation has evolved in mostly land vehicles but it still needs improvement in safety standards, which endangers the life of civilians.
Biman Bangladesh Airlines commonly known as Biman, pronounced, is the national flag carrier of Bangladesh. With its main hub at Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, the airline also operates flights from its secondary hubs at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong and as well as Osmani International Airport in Sylhet. The airline provides international passenger and cargo services to multiple destinations and has air service agreements in 42 countries. The headquarters of the airline, Balaka Bhaban, is located in Kurmitola, in the northern part of Dhaka. Annual Hajj flights, transporting tourists, migrants, and non-resident Bangladeshi workers and the activities of its subsidiaries form an integral part of the corporate business of the airline. Bangladesh's air transport sector, which is experiencing an 8% annual growth rate thanks to a large number of outbound tourists, domestic tourists, and non-resident Bangladeshi travelers, is very competitive with stiff competition among a number of private Bangladeshi airlines as well as Biman.
Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport, , is the main international airport serving Dhaka City, the capital city of Bangladesh, and it is the largest airport in Bangladesh. It is located in Kurmitola, 17 km (11 mi) from the city centre, in the northern part of Dhaka. The airport is also used as a base of the Bangladesh Air Force. The airport has an area of 802 hectares. The Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) operates and maintains the airport. It started operations in 1980, taking over from Tejgaon Airport as the principal international airport of the country. The airport was formerly known as Dacca International Airport and later as Zia International Airport, before being named in honour of Shah Jalal, who is one of the most respected Sufi saints of Bangladesh. The IATA code of the airport "DAC" is derived from "Dacca", which is the previously used spelling for "Dhaka".
Shah Amanat International Airport, Chattogram is an international airport serving Bangladesh's southeastern port city of Chittagong. Operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh, it is the second-largest international airport in Bangladesh after Shahjalal International Airport in Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is used by the Bangladesh Air Force as a part of 'BAF Zahurul Haq Base'. It was formerly known as MA Hannan International Airport, named after Awami League politician M. A. Hannan, but was renamed on 2 April 2005 by the Government of Bangladesh, after an 18th-century Islamic saint, Shah Amanat. It is capable of annually handling 1.5 million passengers and 6,000 tonnes of cargo. It also serves as a base for the Arirang Flying School.
Osmani International Airport, Sylhet in Sylhet, Bangladesh, is the third largest airport in Bangladesh after Dhaka and Chittagong. The airport is operated by the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh (CAAB) and is served by Biman Bangladesh Airlines, the national airline, which at one point earned most of its revenue from this airport. Private airlines Novoair and US-Bangla Airlines operate domestic flights to Dhaka.
Dhaka Cantonment is a cantonment located in the northern part of Dhaka, Bangladesh. The headquarters of the Bangladesh Army, and Air Force are situated within the cantonment which combined form the Armed Forces of Bangladesh. The Cantonment is located on the north-east end of the Dhaka metropolis.
East Pakistan Air Operations covers the activity of the Pakistan Air Force (PAF) and Pakistan Army Aviation units in former East Pakistan during the Bangladesh Liberation War. The operations involved the interdiction, air defense, ground support, and logistics missions flown by the Bangladesh Air Force, Indian Air Force, and the Indian Navy Aviation wing in support of the Mukti Bahini and later Indian Army in Bengal.
BAF Shaheen College is the general name of several civilian secondary and higher secondary educational institutions run by the Bangladesh Air Force. These educational institutions are located in different air bases of BAF.
Jashore Airport is a domestic airport in Jashore, Bangladesh. Operated and maintained by the Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh. It is also used by the Bangladesh Air Force as part of BAF Matiur Rahman Base and training airfield for the Bangladesh Air Force Academy. Currently it has seven daily flights to Dhaka and a weekly flight to Cox's Bazar. It is the only operational airport of the Khulna Division and the fifth busiest airport of Bangladesh.
Tejgaon is a thana of Dhaka District in the Division of Dhaka, Bangladesh. It is in the centre of Dhaka, the capital. In 2006, the boundaries of the thana were redrawn when Tejgaon Industrial Area Thana was created out of the former larger area and again in 2009 when Sher-e-Bangla Nagar Thana was created.
Civil Aviation Authority of Bangladesh (CAAB) functions as the regulatory body for all aviation related activities in Bangladesh. It is the civil aviation authority operating under the Ministry of Civil Aviation & Tourism. All nine operational airports are operated by the CAAB. A member of International Civil Aviation Organization, it has signed bilateral air transport agreement with 52 states. It is headquartered in Kurmitola, Dhaka.
The history of aviation in Bangladesh began with kites, the traditional heavier-than-air man-made object that is flown by one or more people while staying on the ground. The first recorded manned flight was arranged by the Dhaka Nawab Family in 1882, which resulted in the death of the flyer.
M Khademul Bashar, Bir Uttom was Chief of Air Staff of the Bangladesh Air Force during 1976. He also held the office of Deputy Chief Martial Law Administrator and was in charge of the Ministry of Petroleum, the Ministry of Food and Civil Aviation and the Department of Tourism.
Ishwardi Airport is a domestic airport located at Ishwardi Upazila in Pabna District. Biman Bangladesh Airlines had regular flights to Dhaka until 1996. On 18 November 2013, United Airways resumed flights to Dhaka, thus commercial services resumed after 17 years, but flights to the airport were suspended in mid 2014.
BAF Shaheen College Dhaka also known as BAFSD or Dhaka Shaheen is a co-educational Bangladeshi college established and controlled by the Bangladesh Air Force and primarily for the children of Air Force personnel. But students from the civilian section can also study at the college. This college is located at Jahangir Gate, Dhaka Cantonment, Dhaka, Bangladesh. There are seven BAF Shaheen Colleges across the country including one more in Kurmitola, Dhaka and a BAF Shaheen English Medium College that is operated by the Bangladesh Air Force.
Bogra Airport is a primarily military but planned for public use airport 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) northwest of Bogra, Bangladesh. It is operated by the Bangladesh Air Force. As of July 2015, no scheduled passenger flights serve the airport, but civil air operations are allowed with prior approval.
Shamshernagar Airport is a public use airport 17 kilometres (11 mi) southeast of Moulvibazar, Bangladesh. It is operated by Bangladesh Air Force. Due to the short length of the runway it is restricted to STOL aircraft. As of July 2015, no scheduled passenger flights serve the airport, but civil air operations are allowed with prior approval.
Air Vice Marshal Muhammad Mafidur Rahman is a Bangladesh Air Force officer and Incumbent Chairman of Civil Aviation Authority, Bangladesh. Prior to this appointment, he was the air officer commanding at two important air bases namely BAF Base Bangabandhu, Kurmitola, Dhaka and BAF Base Zahurul Haque, Patenga, Chattogram.
