Bangladesh has assured India Lalmonirhat airbase will not be used for military purposes: Govt in LS

India has taken note of the Lalmonirhat airbase in Bangladesh developed by China and has been assured by Dhaka that the base will not be used for military purposes, the government informed Lok Sabha on Friday.

In a written response, Minister of State for External Affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh said, “The Government of India has noted reports concerning the Lalmonirhat airbase in Bangladesh. It has also noted a press briefing on May 26 by the Director of Military Operations of Bangladesh Army, in which it has been stated that there are no plans at present for the Lalmonirhat airfield to be used for military purposes.”

The Government of India continues to monitor all developments having a bearing on national security and takes all necessary measures to safeguard it,” the reply mentioned.

Meanwhile, the minister also addressed the June 2025 incident involving the vandalisation of the ancestral home of Rabindranath Tagore in Bangladesh. The government informed the Parliament that India strongly condemned the “despicable attack”, underlining it as a disgrace to the memory of Tagore and the inclusive values he stood for.

India urged the interim Government of Bangladesh to take strict action and prevent recurrence of such incidents, the reply from the MoS mentioned.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Bangladesh, thereafter issued a statement confirming the arrest of two persons in connection to the attack and said that appropriate legal action was being undertaken.

The reply also mentioned that the Bangladesh government has announced measures to increase the security of Rabindra Kacharibari.