India ex-general warns against Bangladesh airbase near strategic ‘chicken’s neck’
PARBATTA NEWS DESK
A former senior Indian army officer has warned that any infrastructure near the Siliguri Corridor perceived as a threat to India’s security could be “neutralised swiftly.”
Lt Gen (retd) Subrata Saha made the remarks in a column for Anandabazar Patrika, referring to Bangladesh’s reported plan to revive a World War II-era airbase in Lalmonirhat, near the India-Bangladesh border.
He raised concerns over possible Chinese involvement in the project, pointing to the airbase’s location — around 135km from the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow land strip linking mainland India to its northeastern states. The corridor, often called India’s “chicken’s neck,” is considered a critical strategic zone.
“The current Bangladeshi leadership seems intent on increasing pressure near the corridor,” Saha wrote, alleging attempts to provide China a foothold near the sensitive area.
The Lalmonirhat airfield, originally built by the British in 1931, was briefly used for civilian flights in the 1950s. Under Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, it was earmarked for an aviation and space university.
Saha claimed the current interim government, led by Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus, appears more focused on reviving the military infrastructure.
India has previously experienced tensions with China in areas near the Siliguri Corridor, including border standoffs at Nathu La (1967) and Doklam (2017). The corridor remains vital to India’s defence and transport links.
