Sudden trip to Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport: Farewell to loved ones, history and an emotional afternoon

Some journeys in life happen suddenly, without any prior planning. Yesterday afternoon was just like that. Suddenly, I got the news of my brother-in-law's flight to Singapore. I hurriedly rushed to the main gateway of Bangladesh - 'Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport' to bid him farewell.

​Airports are a place of strange feelings. Here, on the one hand, there is the boundless joy of being close to a loved one after many days, and on the other hand, there is the sad farewell tone of moving to a distant land. My brother-in-law's dream of a new life and our good wishes - all combined to make a very emotional afternoon there. I thought, I would share the story of this journey and the beginning and end of our historical airport with you.

​Our main airport in the pages of history:
There is a long and exciting history behind the current modern form of Shahjalal International Airport. Many may not know that this airport was founded during the Second World War. At that time, it was called 'Kurmitola Airfield', which was originally used as a military base for the US Air Force. Later, when the old Tejgaon Airport in Dhaka became too small for the country's growing air traffic in independent Bangladesh, a major initiative was taken to build a new international airport at Kurmitola.

This airport, built with a great design by French experts, officially started its journey in 1980 under the name 'Zia International Airport'. Then in 2010, it was renamed 'Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport' in honor of the famous Sufi saint Hazrat Shahjalal (RA). Situated on an area of ​​about 1,981 acres, this airport is currently the largest and busiest airport in Bangladesh, from where about 52 percent of the country's international and domestic flights are operated.

Iconic Sculpture and Spacious Terminal:
The first thing that catches your eye upon entering the airport area is the famous sculpture at the intersection – a huge globe or earth and right next to it are three rockets facing space. It is like a silent symbol of Bangladesh’s rapid progress in the era of globalization. This golden sculpture against the blue sky is really bound to catch anyone’s attention.

Then, as we moved towards the main terminal area, we saw a huge activity. I took several pictures of Terminal-1 and Terminal-2 as I walked around. The design of this huge structure is truly eye-catching. The rows of domed arches at the bottom of the roof add a unique dimension to its architecture, which attracts everyone’s attention from afar.

The parking area outside the terminal is like a huge sea of ​​cars! Hundreds of microbuses, private cars and taxis are standing in rows. People from different parts of the country have come to bid farewell or welcome their loved ones.

Emotional moments and the hustle and bustle of people:
The scene in front of Gate 6 of the terminal was the most emotional. Thousands of passengers are standing with trolleys full of huge luggage, and they are surrounded by their families. Some are hugging their loved ones for the last time and crying, while others are waving goodbye with a smile. When my brother-in-law was also moving towards the gate with his luggage, a suppressed pain in his heart and many good wishes for his new future were working together. It is on the sweat and hard work of these expatriates that a huge wheel of our country's economy is turning.

A touch of modernity and the softness of nature:
I got the opportunity to capture some more wonderful scenes while walking around the airport. The most interesting of these was a unique example of modern architecture - the tall Air Traffic Control (ATC) tower. Just looking at this round tower made of glass and concrete, you can understand how modern our aviation sector is becoming. If you look a little further, you can see our red-green national flag flying proudly on a huge pole. And behind it, the huge construction of the Third Terminal (Terminal 3) is going on, which will soon increase the capacity and beauty of this airport many times over.

However, even in the midst of this mechanical busyness, a strange form of nature fascinated me. When a flock of birds was flying over a large tree next to the huge parking lot in the late afternoon, the scene was worth seeing. The ear-splitting roar of the aircraft on one side, and the independent flight of the birds on the other side - created a strange combination of machinery and nature.

And next to all this, the beautiful mosque of the airport stands very calmly. Its beautiful black and white checkerboard dome and tall minaret spread a strange spiritual tranquility in the entire environment.

​Last words
When we said goodbye to my brother-in-law and headed home, the sun was almost setting. These few hours spent at the airport made me think a lot. This place is like a small Bangladesh, where the dreams, smiles, sighs and tears of thousands of people come together every day. My humble respect and best wishes to all those who are going to countries like Singapore, Malaysia or the Middle East in search of life and livelihood.

Source: Wikipedia and Google

(All posts are written in Bengali and translated into English using Google Translate.)
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