Kailashahar Airbase revival: Why a forgotten 1971 war airstrip might be key to India’s NE strategy
“The urgency to restart the airport comes amid reports that Bangladesh is receiving assistance from China to renovate Lalmonirhat Airport, a World War II-era airstrip situated approximately 132 kilometres from India’s strategically critical Chicken’s Neck corridor and just 15 to 20 kilometres from the Indian border. The airport is spread over 1,166 acres and it has a four-kilometre runway and large tarmac.”
“The Chicken’s Neck corridor is only 22km wide, it connects Northeast India to the rest of India and is considered vital for national security. ‘There is a fear that [Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat] airport will be developed for dual use—civilian and military purposes. It could help China keep a tab on Indian activities whether civilian or military or help them gather intelligence near the Siliguri corridor,’ said Sriparna Pathak, China Studies professor at O.P. Jindal University, as quoted by TOI [Times Of India].”