MISSION: ANVIL - The Covert Flight That Saved SHEIKH HASINA

Capt. B. Parthosarathy.

November 29, 2025   

Dateline: HINDAN AIR BASE, INDIA: - 5th August 2024.

 

There are flights that transport passengers, and then there are flights that carry the fate of a nation. On 05082024, the cockpit of a Bangladesh Air Force Aeroplane Lockheed C-130J Super Hercules was no longer just a flight deck; it was the command Centre for one of the most delicate and high-stakes aerial operations in South Asian history. This is the story of that mission, pieced together from the data and the unspoken code of AVIATORS who execute orders under the shadow of extreme peril.

 

 THE CALL OF DUTY: - A City on the Brink

 

Location:  Bangabandhu  Airbase, DHAKA -(VGHS)

Latitude 23°51’00”N Longitude 090°24’00”E.

Time: 15:05 BST/ 09:05 UTC (Bangladesh Standard Time). OAT 31°C (Airfield Atmospheric Temperature) , QNH-1003 ( Aerodrome level pressure reduce to mean sea level).

Runway- (32/14 ) length -10,499 feet.

Runway Elevation - 26 feet [Take-off & Landing].

TAF- ( Terminal Area Forecast weather  required for Aeroplane operation) report spoke of routine conditions of Airfield: wind direction/ velocity is-180°/10Knots, Horizontal visibility -5KM with haze skyline , Few scattered cloud in the vicinity at -1500 feet altitude, broken clouds at -10000 feet AGL. But on the ground, Dhaka was anything but routine. The city was engulfed in chaos - skyline smudged with dark smoke, streets teeming with unrest, and the echoes of volatility threatening the very seat of power. The mission: the emergency exfiltration of Bangladesh's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina.

 

The aircraft BAF Lockheed C-140J Super Hercules Call Sign as AJXA-1431, with mode- S transponder equiped (SSR- secondary surveillance Radar) stood fuelled and ready on the tarmac. With its 4 engine Rolls-Royce turboprops, defensive countermeasures, and air-to-air refuelling capability, such aircraft was built by Lockheed (USA) for resilience. Such Ariel operation flight plan, a closely guarded secret coordinated between allied nations( Bharat) , was masked as a local training sortie of BAF - a necessary deception to shield their true intent from hostile surveillance at Dhaka Airspace at that moment.

 

Rescue chronology:-

The Prime Minister, alongside her sister Sheikh Rehana with the heavily guarded SSF security protocol team was airlifted from Parliament house Helipad to the Bangabandu Airbase of Kurmitala - Dhaka, tarmac under the protective escort of operation code as Leopard 803 of Tejgaon Airbase. The Aviator ultimate responsibility was now crystal clear: become their winged sanctuary. VVIP and SSF (Special Security Force) Protocol onboard. External checks complete, all relevant checklist completed, with Air traffic controller permission engines started with a low rumble, and the cabin secured. Every procedure was measured, every action deliberate. In the cockpit, a calm focus prevailed, the silence broken only by essential radio calls and the humming noise of all essential instruments, systems , Air Conditioning flow induce noise , Radio  communications frequency dB around the vicinity. Aviator’s were a bubble of order in a city descending into anarchy.

 

 THE MUTE DEPARTURE:- A Calculated Escape.

 

At 15:09 BST, Pilot received taxi out clearance. As per Dhaka Air traffic control Flight Strip progress report,  A critical decision by both Pilot and  requested an intersection departure from Runway 32( 324° magnetic direction) diverging from the active runway 14 ( 144° opposite  direction) to expedite Aircraft ascent and vector them  away from the most volatile sectors of the city low line sky . With the departure clearance from Dhaka Air traffic Tower  VHF frequency 118.3 ,the take-off roll commenced at 15:12 BST ( 09:12 UTC). As the wheels left the ground at 15:14, the immediate threat began to recede, but the mission's most vulnerable phase was just beginning.

 

To become a ghost in the machine, Pilot deliberately switched off the mode -S transponder , To any watching radar, flight  were now a primary, anonymous blip - a bird of prey flying silent. They climbed, turning left to intercept the airway A-462 , leaving the tumult of Dhaka below, Pilot eyes glued to the instruments, trusting procedure over emotion although Prime Minister face expressions was state of hiraeth when she witnessed smoky City view from skyline ( Airplane window). Flight was continued to Climb upto Flight Level 240( 24000 feet) & during such a climb phase  they also witnessed the reciprocal direction of Air ( Airbus  320 aircraft) traffic from Kolkata to Dhaka which was descending in the  same airways  Route for Dhaka city arrival at  Hazrat Shahjalal International Airport.

 

LEAVING DHAKA FIR BEHIND:- The Unspoken Relief.

 

The tension in the cockpit didn't break, but it began to transform as we neared the Indian FIR boundary. Before reaching the BEMAK air-waypoint on the flying Route, the gateway to India FIR  ,( Kolkata Flight information Region), Pilot monitoring established contact with Kolkata Air traffic Radar Controller . This was the "handshake." Pilot reactivated Aeroplane  Transponder, broadcasting the discreet squawk code 4131. Instantly, AJXA-1431 reappeared on screens, a friendly identified on track 237° [057° inbound Kolkata] moving at the speed of 265 knots [1 knots= 1.85 km/ hour speed]

 

India’s commitment as a sovereign nation was then visibly cast across the sky. As reported, Indian Air Force jets scrambled, forming up alongside the covert mission Aircraft in a protective, parallel formation. They were not an escort of honour, but a shield - a formidable message to any possible intruder who might dare interfere.

 

THE FINAL LEG: A Journey to Refuge.

 

With the protective shield established, the mission entered its procedural phase in Indian Air space. As cleared by Kolkata Air Traffic Authority  a routing to overfly CEA( Kolkata  VOR station ) then turn Right directions to establish lateral outbound track 302° for the Standard North-West bound route R-460 Overfly GGC( Gaya) - BBN( Varanasi ) - Speed increased  further up to 318 knots ( by maintaining steady Altitude of 24000 feet for  LKN( Lakhnow )- track 307°- R594- further left  turn for the track 292° -SSB ( Sikandrabad)  followed by initial decent permission granted by Delhi Air traffic control to land at HINDAN  Airport .( Due to strategic importance & security protocol entire  Descent & arrival data of Hindan arrival  of such flight kept outside article intentionally ) The total journey of 836 nautical-mile( 1547 Kilometres Ground distance by Air) was completed uneventful - the best kind of flight under the circumstances. The cockpit allowed for a shared, unspoken moment of relief. The mission was proceeding as planned.

                                                                                                                                                                       

Airplanes touched down on Runway at Hindan Airbase Runway at 17:36 IST( 18:.06 BST) during  dusk atmosphere . The landing was smooth, the rollout textbook. The mission was a success.

 

THE DENOUEMENT: - Geopolitical Repercussions & a Leader’s resolve.

 

The conclusion of the aerial operation revealed its human cost. The disembarkation of the 77 year old Prime Minister presented a portrait of solemn exhaustion, a leader displaced by forces her family tragically known before (her father The first Premier of Independent Bangladesh,

 

Sheikh Mujibur Rahman with most of the family members was brutally assassinated on 15th August 1975). Her reception by India’s National security Advisor was a indication of powerful, visible affirmation of the mission’s profound geopolitical significance, signalling South Asia,s regional stability concerns at the highest level.  Spectacularly Sheikh Hasina is the sole democratically elected Female Prime Minister of a nation (Bangladesh) in entire ASIA in recent  time , where she has served her motherland more than 15 consecutive year.

 

THE UNSEEN ARCHITECTURE OF VALOUR: A Conclusion.

 

The successful culmination of Mission: Anvil, marked by the C-130J’s wheels kissing the Tarmac at HINDAN, represents far more than a logistical triumph. It stands as the ultimate expression of a specialised ethos. The common misconception is that valour is the absence of fear. In truth, as demonstrated by the crew of covert Flight AJXA-1431, it is the supreme exercise of discipline over instinct. The spectre of the mob at Dhaka city, the potential for hostile engagement, the immense weight of a nation’s Leader resting in their care- these are not dismissed, but rather processed as variables in a complex flight operational equation. Their performance was not born of reckless heroism but of a cool, almost clinical, precision. Every checklist completed, every deviation as per situation is calculated or having escape options on standby in mind too. Pilot didn’t merely fly the Aircraft, they orchestrated a secure environment in 4 - dimensional space. After completing such successful covert mission flight for Bangladesh premier  such Pilot,s return to their society as quietly as they left, their paramount achievement known to few but their caliber understood by all who comprehend the art of the possible in Sky.

 

The human dimension of the operation became starkly clear upon landing. As the aircraft doors opened, there was a palpable sense of exhaustion. The Prime Minister, having endured a trial no democratically elected leader should ever face, was received with immediate, high-level protocol, underscoring the mission's profound geopolitical gravity.

 

For the flight deck crew, the mission was over only after they returned to Dhaka, closing the loop on a chapter of aviation history defined by precision, secrecy, and immense responsibility. This account is a tribute to the unseen professionals in the cockpit—the aviators of BAF AJXA-1431. Their names may not be public, but their skill and courage in the face of chaos ensured that in a race against time, the mission was accomplished. They are the true unsung heroes of Mission (dated 5th August 2024): Anvil.

   (Tripurainfo)

more articles...