Officers, personnel of Bangladesh Air Force visit Nagaland to mark BAF's raising in 1971

Twenty officers and personnel of the Bangladesh Air Force have visited Dimapur in Nagaland to mark the raising day of the BAF, officials said on Wednesday.

The Bangladesh Air Force had came into being with one Chetak, one armed Otter and one Dakota, nine officers and 57 men on September 28, 1971 at Dimapur.

It was on this day that three pilots, Squadron Leader Sultan Ahmed and Flight Lieutenant Badrul Alam who had defected from the Pakistan Air Force, and a civilian pilot, Captain Shahabuddin Ahmed, commenced their training by the Indian Air Force in Kilo flight at Dimapur which was deemed to be the first Bangladesh Air Force Unit, the defence ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

After December 16, 1971, with the birth of Bangladesh, the Kilo Flight aircraft riddled with bullets, but still fly worthy, were handed over to Dhaka by India, it said.

''In order to keep the spirit of Liberation War alive amongst the personnel of Bangladesh Forces, 20 Officers and personnel of Bangladesh Air Force led by Group Captain Tanvir Marzan visited Dimapur on October 31, 2023, as a part of Bangladesh Air Force Raising Day celebrations,'' it said.

Officers and personnel of the IAF, including those belonging to Dornier and MI 17-V5 squadrons with a historical connection with the Kilo Flight interacted with the personnel of the BAF.

Bangladesh Air Force has always shown keen interest in visiting important locations that were places of relevance during the 1971 Liberation War. The visit reflects the deep ties and bonhomie between the Air Forces of the two countries and acknowledges the role of IAF in the liberation of Bangladesh, it added.