Bangladesh-Türkiye joint venture to manufacture drone in Bogura

Bangladesh will establish a drone manufacturing plant in Bogura in collaboration with Türkiye. The facility is planned to be built adjacent to the proposed international airport in the district.

State Minister for Local Government Mir Shahe Alam disclosed the information on Thursday, citing Prime Minister Tarique Rahman.

"The Prime Minister informed Parliament during the question-and-answer session yesterday that a drone manufacturing plant will be constructed beside the Bogura Air Base as a joint venture with Türkiye," he said.

He made the remarks while speaking at a dialogue organized by the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum (BSRF) at the Secretariat Media Centre.

The event was presided by BSRF President Masudul Haque and moderated by the organization's General Secretary Ubaidullah Badal.

Shahe Alam said there is currently no international-standard airport in northern Bangladesh, adding that work is underway to upgrade Bogura Airport into an international airport.

He also said the government has approved the establishment of the Bangladesh Air Force's first air base in the northern region. The new fighter aircraft set to be inducted into the Air Force fleet will be stationed at the base.

Bogura Airport, originally built during the Pakistan era, is one of the country's older airports. Although initiatives were taken to modernize the airport during the administrations of former President Ziaur Rahman and former Prime Minister Begum Khaleda Zia, the project did not move forward due to political reasons.