India undertakes calibrated response in Siliguri corridor ... 'chicken neck' :::: Bangladesh wants a China-supported airbase in Lalmonirhat

In 2024 within weeks of change of regime in Dhaka, drones were reportedly launched from Tejgaon Airbase in Bangladesh and operated by the 67th Army of Bangladesh.

This highlighted the evolving surveillance dynamics along the Indo-Bangla border. 

The 40-minute meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and interim head of Bangladesh, Muhammad Yunus, on the sidelines of the 6th BIMSTEC summit in Bangkok was courtesous and cordial. But PM Modi's mesage was clear.

The interaction National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Yunus’ ‘high representative’ Khalilur Rahman were vital.

NSA Doval had frank discussions with Rahman and told the latter candidly disregarding India’s security concerns and allowing agencies and elements to carry out anti-Indian activities from Bangladesh will not be acceptable.

Bangladesh has procured 12 Bayraktar TB2 medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) drones from Türkiye, with six units confirmed operational, marking a significant enhancement in Dhaka’s tactical ISR capabilities.

Dhaka also has plans to acquire up to 32 JF-17 Thunder fighter jets—an export-oriented, fourth-generation multirole platform jointly developed by Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC) and China’s Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group (CAIG).

India is adopting a multi-pronged approach against a multi dimensional threat -- that is a comprehensive approach to deal with predominantly ideological, political, and diplomatic response.

The analysis of the multi-pronged operation reveals care and precision in terms of effective domination and hard intelligence despite a hostile environment and sensibility involved.

India Turns Siliguri Corridor (Chicken Neck) into Fortress: Rafales, S-400s Deployed Amid Rising China-Bangladesh Threat

In a flashpoint event last year, India reportedly issued a stern warning to Bangladesh after a Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drone, operated by Dhaka’s armed forces, flew perilously close to the India-Bangladesh border.

Over the months since August 5, 2024, the Yunus regime in Dhaka has openly courted investment and defence cooperation with China and even Pakistan.

While Pakistan has lost its influence even as a negative catalyst, for all obvious reasons, New Delhi regards Beijing as a strategic antagonist. 

The positioning of the S-400 system—renowned for its ability to simultaneously engage multiple aerial targets at ranges exceeding 400 kilometres—is viewed as a calibrated response to intensifying aerial activity by China and Bangladesh near India’s eastern frontier. 

The 'critical strip' of land forms the only terrestrial conduit between mainland India and its resource-rich but geographically isolated northeastern states, making it one of the country’s most vital and vulnerable military arteries. 

In a move laden with geo-strategic significance, India has deployed its cutting-edge Russian-built S-400 Triumf long-range air defence system to the Siliguri Corridor—a narrow, 20–22 kilometre-wide land bridge in West Bengal often dubbed the “Chicken’s Neck”. 

Particularly unsettling to India are reports of potential joint infrastructure ventures between Dhaka and Beijing. 

India has consistently rejected the BRI, warning that it enables the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to embed dual-use infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific.

Bangladesh is apparently keen for establishing a Chinese-supported airbase in its northern Lalmonirhat district. In response to these converging threats, India has not only activated its S-400 batteries in the Siliguri region but has also reinforced its tactical aviation.

The Dassault Rafale, equipped with Meteor beyond-visual-range missiles, SCALP cruise missiles, and advanced electronic warfare suites, serves as a formidable air superiority.

Further bolstering India’s integrated deterrence posture is the deployment of a BrahMos cruise missile regiment.

The Indo-Russian BrahMos missile, co-developed by DRDO is a fast cruise missile in operational service and plays a central role for Indian army.

At the heart of India’s ground-based military presence in the region is the Trishakti Corps, headquartered in Sukna, a formation synonymous with combined arms combat capability and operational excellence.

The units under the Trishakti Corps are prepared for the high-altitude mountains of Sikkim showcasing their adaptability for diverse operational environments. 

India’s security agencies have become more concerned about the rising number and increasing complexity of air movements by China and Bangladesh near Siliguri Corridor.