Air base near India’s border: Is China planning to choke India’s ‘Chicken’s Neck’?

In a development with potentially significant security implications for India’s Northeast, China may assist Bangladesh in reviving a World War II-era airbase at Lalmonirhat in Rangpur Division, located just 12-15 km from the Indian border.Some Chinese officials recently visited the site. The airfield, currently under the control of the Bangladesh Air Force, has remained inactive for decades. Dhaka is reportedly seeking Beijing’s support to bring it back into operation.The airbase is located 135 km from the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the ‘Chicken’s Neck’ – India’s narrow land link to its northeastern states. While it remains unclear whether the revived airfield would serve civilian or military purposes, any potential Chinese presence so close to the India-Bangladesh border could heighten the strategic vulnerability of the corridor.This move also comes in the wake of a controversial statement by Bangladesh's interim leader, Mohammed Yunus, who recently encouraged China to expand its economic footprint into India’s Northeast. The remark drew concern in India, particularly given China’s persistent territorial claims over Arunachal Pradesh, which it refers to as ‘South Tibet’ in official maps, and its continued practice of unilaterally renaming locations in the state.Why does Dhaka want to revive this airbase?Originally built by the British in 1931, the Lalmonirhat airfield served as a forward base for Allied forces during World War II, supporting their operations in Southeast Asia, according to the Centre for Research in Indo-Bangla Studies, a Kolkata-based think tank.Following the Partition, Pakistan briefly reopened the airbase in 1958 for civilian flights. Since then, it has remained unused. The abandoned facility spans 1,166 acres and includes a four km runway, a large tarmac, a hangar, and a taxiway.In 2019, the Sheikh Hasina-led government announced plans to establish the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Aviation and Aerospace University at the site. The aviation academy, run by the Bangladesh Air Force, is currently operational.In February this year, the Yunus-led interim administration proposed reviving six British-era airports, including Lalmonirhat, as part of an initiative to boost the national economy, according to Bangladeshi media reports. The other airports identified for revival are located in Ishwardi (Pabna), Thakurgaon, Shamshernagar (Moulvibazar), Comilla, and Bogra.How this could increase 'Chicken’s Neck' vulnerabilityIt was not clear if the Lalmonirhat airport project is part of the $2.1-billion Chinese investments, loans, and grants that Dhaka secured during Yunus’ visit to China in March.China’s interest in Lalmonirhat is understandable given its proximity to the Siliguri corridor, a critical chokepoint just 22 km wide at its narrowest point that has long been a strategic vulnerability for India. It connects eight NE states – Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura – to the rest of the country.Squeezed between Nepal and Bangladesh, and with Bhutan and China just a few hundred kilometers away, the Siliguri Corridor is a critical lifeline for both civilian transit and military logistics in India.Any disruption to this narrow stretch threatens India's territorial integrity, making its security a strategic imperative.Tensions have escalated further due to China's expanding military presence near the India-Bhutan-China tri-junction. The 2017 Doklam standoff exposed the corridor’s vulnerability, prompting India to strengthen its defences.“Reports suggest potential Chinese involvement in developing the airbase, possibly as a civilian airport, though fears persist it could serve dual military purposes. This could enable China to monitor Indian military movements or gather intelligence near the [Siliguri] corridor,” says Sriparna Pathak, a professor of China Studies at OP Jindal Global University. mediumhttps://ui.tgsession.com/3sw663_1rkmuflfzqrun/5prkysza?1eqt=4zmOZb21f6_cQTNkp military-economic factorBeijing’s interest in investing in the airbase in the Rangpur Division is driven by a combination of military and economic considerations.Chinese companies are steadily increasing their investments in Bangladesh, undertaking projects such as factory construction and the development of a solar power plant near Rangpur. Plans are also underway to establish a satellite city in the area.These factories are operated almost entirely by Chinese personnel, with minimal involvement from local workers, a Dhaka-based journalist told TOI+ speaking on the condition of anonymity.In addition, Chinese firms are actively participating in infrastructure and connectivity initiatives in the region, which lies close to the Indian border.“I see this [China’s plan to revive the air base] as the natural consequence of two things. One thing is China has definite plans for that region. All this while those plans may have been dormant because [deposed Bangladesh PM] Sheikh Hasina was more accommodative towards India’s interests. Now, with the regime change and Mohammed Yunus’ open offer that Bangladesh can serve as a fountainhead against India, China would definitely be tempted to take up the offer [the airport project],” says Kalpit Mankikar, fellow, China-Taiwan Studies at Observer Research Foundation. “We don’t know yet what are China’s plans for the project. But this could be used to monitor civilian and military movement to Northeast from the rest of India and vice versa,” he added. The Pakistan factorNew Delhi is closely watching Bangladesh’s growing bonhomie with both China and Pakistan following the ouster of the Hasina government.Before the Chinese officials’ visit to Lalmonirhat, a delegation of Pakistani military and intelligence officials reportedly inspected some border areas of Bangladesh.Reacting to this, Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi had earlier said: “I had used the word epicentre of terrorism for a particular country [Pakistan]. Now those countrymen, if they go to any other place and they happen to be our neighbour, as far as I am concerned, I should be concerned about it. That they should not be able to use that soil to send terrorists to India.” It is well documented how the Pakistani spy agency, the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), used to have deep links with armed separatist groups from India’s Northeast, many of whom had been operating from Bangladeshi soil until the Awami League government led by Hasina launched a major crackdown in 2009 and handed over their leaders and cadres to Indian authorities. With inputs from Gopal Keshav