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Former Bangladesh PM Sheikh Hasina’s escape on August 5, 2024, involved a secret flight from Dhaka to Ghaziabad, with transponders switched off and a fake Kolkata flight plan, to minimise attention amid violent protests.
New Delhi:
A Bangladesh daily has published details of ex-Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina‘s dramatic escape from Dhaka on August 5, 2024, and confirms what sources at Kolkata’s Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose airport told this reporter – her military transport planned to land in the city but changed course.
It eventually landed at the Hindon Air Force base in Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh.
This, as it now appears, was calculated to avoid unwarranted attention.
Media houses in India, including NDTV, initially reported she was en route to Kolkata.
The plane made the detour to Delhi late – appearing to be on course for Kolkata till the last minute – because it wanted to spend as little time as possible in Bangladesh airspace.
Aviation experts have confirmed planes flying from Dhaka to Delhi spend more time in Bangladeshi airspace than those to Kolkata. The Dhaka-Kolkata route a direct flightpath to the west while that to Delhi is north-westerly and spends more time in Bangladesh-controlled skies.
Civil aviation sources told the Bangladeshi daily, The Daily Star, there is a hotline between Air Traffic Control in Dhaka and Kolkata to notify each other about approaching planes.
The plane was designated as a ‘training flight’ to avoid drawing attention to her fleeing the country as a violent crowd – allegedly intent on murder – her was taking over the Gana Bhavan.
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The Gana Bhavan is the former Prime Minister’s official residence in Dhaka.
What Happened That Day?
The plane took off from the Bangladesh Air Force’s Bangabandhu base a little after 3pm, after filing a fight plan to Kolkata. It was given a ‘squawk code’ of 4131 – the unique four-digit code assigned by an Air Traffic Control – and this was shared with Kolkata ATC, the ‘destination’.
However, after take-off from Dhaka, the plane turned off it transponders. which transmit identifying details like the aircraft’s ‘squawk code’, altitude, speed, and location.
It was now ‘invisible’ to ATC radars, whether in Dhaka, Kolkata, or anywhere else, although communication was maintained with ground control to ensure safe passage of the flight.
On board were Sheikh Hasina, her sister, and others.
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The transponders were switched on only near the Bengal border, at which point Dhaka handed the plane off to Kolkata, which means the pilot had to contact the ATC to announce his arrival.
This is standard practice and is usually done when a flight is close to the border.
At this point Indian aviation authorities began tracking the plane – a Bangladesh Air Force C-130J aircraft – which was around 10km from the international border.
Green Light From Delhi
India’s permission had been sought and secured; Sheikh Hasina was cleared to fly to India as the situation in Bangladesh had worsened with protesters baying for blood.
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Police stations had been attacked and members of the then-ruling Awami League were also being targeted to complete the breakdown of law and order, leading to anarchy and violence.
Hours after her plane took off from Dhaka, the ex-PM was in Ghaziabad, her arrival confirmed, after much speculation over her whereabouts, by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
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