From my desk in London, looking out over a city shielded by one of the world's most sophisticated and integrated defense networks, my thoughts frequently drift back to the delta.
Having observed the shifting tides of international security as a journalist for over two decades, I find that distance provides a certain clarity -- a view of the forest rather than just the trees.
Bangladesh is a nation of soaring ambitions and a burgeoning economy, yet when I look at our security architecture, I see a glaring, dangerous paradox: We are building a multi-billion dollar future on the ground that we are not yet equipped to protect from above.
The world has changed. The era of dogfights is a relic of the twentieth century.
Today, the currency of air power is "stand-off" capability -- the ability to strike from distances that render traditional point-defenses obsolete.
While our policy-makers at least talk about fighter jets (often in an uninformed and inconclusive manner), they seem to have no awareness at all about air-defense: Against air attack, but also against missiles and drones. Bangladesh’s anti-missile defense is woefully inadequate.
Currently, our air defense architecture reflects a modest, point-defense mindset rather than a cohesive national shield.
We rely primarily on short-range systems such as the Chinese-origin FM-90, shoulder-fired MANPADS, and anti-aircraft guns.
These are suitable for protecting a specific bridge or a single airbase against low-altitude incursions, but they do not create depth.
In an era where even mid-tier air forces operate fighters capable of launching precision munitions from well beyond 40 or 50 kilometres, a defense structure essentially capped at a 15-kilometre engagement range leaves a conspicuous, inviting gap.
That gap is not theoretical. Regional militaries, including Myanmar’s, now field platforms such as the Su-30SME that can deploy stand-off air-to-surface weapons.
On March 12, 2026, our neighbour formally commissioned additional units of these heavy multirole fighters. Such aircraft do not need to penetrate deeply into our defended airspace to strike high-value targets.
In practical terms, Bangladesh’s current posture risks allowing an adversary to launch from outside the engagement envelope of its primary missile systems, compressing response time and complicating interception.
The issue is not invasion; it is vulnerability to precision strikes against airbases, infrastructure, and strategic nodes.
The most glaring deficiency is the absence of a true medium-range layer -- the 40-70 kilometre class of surface-to-air missile (SAM) systems that bridge the gap between short-range point defense and long-range strategic shields.
Without that middle tier, radar detection does not automatically translate into credible interception. A layered architecture forces hostile aircraft to operate farther from targets, reduces the effectiveness of stand-off munitions, and dramatically raises the cost of aggression. Bangladesh currently lacks that structural deterrent.
Acquiring a pair of, say, HQ-16 level systems would be a feasible and urgently needed first step. To build up to an S-300 level or its modern equivalents for nation-wide coverage or critical zones should be a matter of the highest priority.
Under the leadership of Prime Minister Tarique Rahman -- who, having lived in London for over 17 years, possesses a global perspective on security and a keen interest in technological modernization -- it is more likely, one hopes, that his administration will recognize that a modern state cannot rely on Cold War-era "close-in" defenses alone.
What should be done is neither extravagant nor regionally destabilizing. The immediate priority must be the acquisition of a modern medium-range SAM system integrated into an improved command-and-control network.
In parallel, Dhaka must invest in hardening and dispersing air assets, strengthening runway repair capacity, and expanding mobile short-range units. These measures are comparatively affordable and achievable within a short timeframe.
Bangladesh does not need a grandiose missile shield or an arms race. It needs depth. In contemporary air warfare, resilience comes not from a single powerful system but from layers that overlap, reinforce, and buy time.
Until Bangladesh builds that middle layer, its airspace will remain more exposed than its geography and ambitions warrant. It is time for our policy-makers to look up and realize that a house without a roof provides very poor shelter.
Munzer Ahmed Chowdhury is a journalist and political analyst. Views expressed are the writer’s own.
