BAF celebrates 50th anniversary

Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) celebrated its 50th anniversary on 28 September 2021. Bangladesh Air Force observes this day as 'Air Force Day'. Mentionable that, responding to the call of the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, the heroic freedom fighters of the Air Force left Pakistan Air Force and participated in the Liberation War. Besides participating in the war, Air Force officers also successfully performed as Deputy Chief of Staff and Sector Commanders.  During the peak of the war, necessity of an Air Force was felt strongly, thus Bangladesh Air Force came into being on 28 September 1971 at Dimapur, India. That journey started as 'Kilo Flight' with one Otter aircraft, one Dakota aircraft and one Allouette helicopter and 57 expatriates from Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan International Airlines. With about 50 operations 'Kilo Flight' had shaken the nerve of Pakistani Forces by attacking strategic targets like Fuel depot at Godnail, Narayanganj and Eastern Refinery, Chattogram.

In celebration of 50th anniversary, Bangladesh Air Force put up aerial display of numeric '50' by PT-6 aircrafts over Faridpur, Narayanganj and Dhaka. Fighter aircraft of Bangladesh Air Force comprising Mig-29 and F-7 flew over Godnail (Narayanganj), Eastern Refinery (Chattogram), House of AVM Sultan Mahmud (Officer Commanding, Kilo Flight) to commemorate the courageous contribution of Kilo Flight during Liberation War. In addition to that, a fascinating fly past over Tejgaon airfield was conducted by C-130, K-8W, PT-6 aircraft, Mi-17 and Bell-212 helicopters.