India Strengthens Eastern Border: 3 New Army Garrisons Along Chicken’s Neck Corridor

Guwahati: In a major strategic push to secure India’s eastern border, the Indian Army has established three new military garrisons along the sensitive “Chicken’s Neck” corridor — including the upcoming Lachit Borphukan Military Station in Assam’s Dhubri district and two forward bases at Kishanganj (Bihar) and Chopra (West Bengal) near the India-Bangladesh border.

Eastern Army Commander Lt. Gen. R.C. Tiwari on Thursday laid the foundation stone for the Lachit Borphukan Station at Bamuni Part 1 and Part 2 villages in Dhubri. Named after the legendary Ahom warrior, the base will be Assam’s first major Army installation close to the Bangladesh border.

According to Defence PRO Lt. Col. M. Rawat, the Dhubri station marks a crucial boost to India’s operational readiness under the Tezpur-based Gajraj Corps (4 Corps). The land, earlier under illegal encroachment, was reclaimed during the Assam government’s eviction drive — a project initiated by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma following communal tensions in Dhubri last year.

Lt. Gen. Tiwari lauded the Assam government and the Gajraj Corps for fast-tracking the project, calling it a “decisive step toward stronger eastern defences.”

Quick-Response Border Camps in Bihar and Bengal

While Dhubri develops into a full-scale base, the Army has also operationalised quick-response garrisons at Kishanganj and Chopra within record time to ensure rapid troop mobilisation near the 22-km Siliguri Corridor — India’s narrow lifeline to the Northeast.

The Chopra Defence Land, located barely a kilometre from Bangladesh’s Tetulia in Panchagarh district, falls under the Brahmastra Corps. Lt. Gen. Tiwari recently reviewed both sites to oversee their integration into existing formations.

Strategic Shield Amid Regional Realignments

The expansion comes as regional geopolitics shift, with Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus reportedly engaging with Pakistan and China, triggering fresh security assessments in New Delhi.

Defence officials said the new eastern outposts aim to “tighten surveillance, enhance coordination, and neutralise emerging threats” along the border.

Fortified Chicken’s Neck Corridor

The Tri-Shakti Corps, already tasked with defending the corridor, is backed by Rafale jets, BrahMos missiles, S-400 and Akash air defence systems, forming a potent shield over the region.

“The so-called Chicken’s Neck is not a weak spot — it’s one of India’s most secure defence zones,” a senior Army officer noted.

With the establishment of the Lachit Borphukan Station and new forward bases in Kishanganj and Chopra, the Indian Army has added another powerful layer of defence — safeguarding not just the corridor, but the entire northeastern frontier of the nation.