The ‘Chicken’s Neck’, a narrow strip of land bordering Bangladesh in northern West Bengal which connects North eastern India to the rest of the country, may have just transformed into a ‘Rhino Neck’.
According to unconfirmed reports, the Indian armed forces have penetrated deep inside Bangladesh, giving the 22 kilometre wide Siliguri Corridor a width of 62 kilometres.
The Indian incursion has reportedly taken place in the Lalmonirhat district, which is a part of the Rangpur division of Bangladesh, adjoining the Siliguri district of West Bengal.
Interestingly, Lalmonirhat is home to a crucial airbase which is reportedly being eyed by China and has been visited by officers of the Pakistan Army in recent days.
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The development comed on the back of the alleged deaths of 10 to 15 soldiers in a firing incident during a joint military exercise between the USA and Bangladesh and the death of a major general of the US Army in a Dhaka hotel.
India has also set up three new military garrisons along the border with Bangladesh, amid growing concerns in New Delhi over growing engagement between Pakistan and Bangladesh.
The outposts, which are located at Bamuni near Dhubri in Assam, Kishenganj in Bihar and Chopra in West Bengal, are reportedly fully operational and are seen as force multipliers for the Indian Army and the Border Security Force.
