Bangladesh's 'Chicken’s Neck’ threat: India to revive WW2 airstrips - why it matters

NEW DELHI: India is moving to revive a network of abandoned airstrips dating back to the Second World War across eastern and north-eastern states, a step driven by growing security concerns along the Bangladesh border and renewed strategic focus on the Siliguri corridor.Also read: To bolster ‘Chicken’s Neck’ security, abandoned WWII-era airstrips will be revivedThe Centre is planning to restore several defunct airfields in West Bengal, Assam and Tripura, many of which were originally built during World War II. Government sources told TOI that the move aims to strengthen regional connectivity and ensure operational readiness in states bordering Bangladesh at a time when bilateral relations are at their lowest point in years. The decision comes amid unease over Bangladesh’s recent move to redevelop the Lalmonirhat airbase in Rangpur, close to the Siliguri corridor — the narrow stretch of land, often called the “Chicken’s Neck”, that links India’s northeast with the mainland. Over the past year, Bangladesh has repeatedly issued threats to sever this corridor. India has already increased its military footprint in the region, establishing new Army bases at Chopra in West Bengal, Kishanganj in Bihar and Lachit Borphukan in Assam’s Dhubri district. The airstrips identified for renovation include Ambari and Panga in Jalpaiguri, Balurghat in South Dinajpur, Jhaljhalia in Malda and Dhubri in Assam. Cooch Behar in West Bengal and Rupsi in Assam’s Kokrajhar district are already operational.During World War II, the northeast served as a crucial logistical base for Allied operations against Japanese forces in Burma (now Myanmar). Tripura, Assam and Bengal hosted dozens of airstrips that supported the Burma Campaign, the China–Burma–India theatre and supply routes such as the Ledo (Stilwell) Road.Several of these bases hosted American forces, including B-24 Liberators and B-29 Superfortresses, while airfields like Hailakandi and Dudhkundi played key roles in bombing, transport and special operations. Rupsi, constructed by the British to supply Allied troops, later served civilian aviation before being revived under the UDAN scheme in 2021 for both commercial and military use.By restoring these historic airfields, India is not only reconnecting remote regions but also reinforcing strategic depth in an area that once shaped the outcome of a world war — and may again prove critical to national security.