India Revives 1971 War Base to Counter China-Bangladesh Lalmonirhat Move

India’s once-quiet northeastern frontier is now emerging as a hotspot of strategic realignment. Central to this development is a World War II-era airfield in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district, which is reportedly being revived with Chinese support.

The development has raised serious alarm in New Delhi, as the revived airbase would give Beijing a potential military foothold just under 20 km from the India-Bangladesh border. Heightening the concern is Lalmonirhat’s proximity to the Siliguri Corridor, India’s narrow 22-km-wide ‘chicken’s neck’ that connects the northeastern states to the mainland.

India Gears Up as Border Tensions Take Flight

As a strategic counterstep, India has swiftly moved to revive the long-defunct Kailashahar Airport in Tripura’s Unakoti district, just a few kilometres from the Bangladesh border and close to the vital Siliguri Corridor. The Airports Authority of India has already begun the revival process.

Strategically located in Tripura’s Unakoti district, the Kailashahar Airport has remained inactive for over three decades. However, it holds deep historical significance. During the 1971 India-Pakistan war, the Indian Air Force used the airfield for key missions and surveillance operations.

Notably, it was from this very airport that the inaugural missions of Kilo Flight, Bangladesh’s first resistance air unit under the operational command of the Indian Air Force, were launched.

This pioneering strike unit carried out bold hit-and-run missions using only two aircraft, a Canadian-built DHC-3 Otter and a French-designed Alouette II helicopter, both modified for combat with rocket pods and machine guns.

Remarkably, the Kilo Flight unit went on to become the foundation of the Bangladesh Air Force.

Ahead of the Curve: India’s Strategic Move

Reviving Kailashahar Airport is a key move to boost logistics and enable quick resource deployment, while also improving connectivity in the state, which currently relies on just one major airport, Agartala.

The Lalmonirhat airbase’s close location to Indian borders and its potential use by China for both civilian and military purposes has made it a key flashpoint in the growing China-Bangladesh military partnership. India’s swift move to revive Kailashahar Airport is a strategic response in this high-stakes regional power play, sending a clear message to Dhaka and Beijing that India is vigilant and ready to act decisively.

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