In a powerful cinematic act of preserving history, a Kolkata-based filmmaker has unveiled a documentary that delves into a pivotal yet often overlooked chapter of the 1971 Bangladesh Liberation War. Titled 'Wings of Defiance', the film meticulously traces the origins of the Bangladesh Air Force, born from a secretive operation launched from Indian soil.
An Act of Resistance Against Historical Amnesia
Directed by Abhijit Dasgupta, this documentary is the second in his series focusing on the 1971 war. Dasgupta describes the project as a deliberate act of resistance against the "deliberate amnesia" that can obscure crucial historical narratives. He emphasizes that when history is erased, younger generations are left defenseless and unaware of the questions they should be asking. The series aims to halt this obliteration of collective memory.
'Wings of Defiance' is set for its premiere screening at SRFTI (Satyajit Ray Film and Television Institute) in Kolkata on January 15. It builds directly upon the narrative thread of Dasgupta's earlier work, which covered the audacious Operation Jackpot, the naval commando mission that devastated Pakistani fuel reserves.
The Clandestine Birth of an Air Force
The film's core subject is Operation Kilo Flight, the code name for the covert aviation wing of the Mukti Bahini (Bangladesh liberation forces). In the brutal aftermath of Operation Searchlight by the Pakistani military, a daring plan was hatched. Bengali defector pilots from the Pakistan Air Force and Pakistan International Airlines, alongside Indian Air Force officers, forged a secret air mission at an abandoned airstrip in Dimapur.
With extremely limited resources, they embodied "wartime jugaad at its most fearless." A modest single-engine Otter aircraft and a Chetak helicopter were converted into strike machines, armed with improvised rockets, guns, and handmade sights. Training was perilous, involving low-level night flying to avoid enemy radar, runways lit only by Petromax lamps, and jungle trials where any error could be fatal.
The documentary features rare interviews with key participants, including Captain Shahabuddin Ahmed, Captain Alamgir Sattar, Captain Akram Ahmed, and Flight Lt Samsul Alam from the Kilo Flight, as well as Squadron Leader S C Ghoshal, who trained these pioneering airmen.
Audacious Raids and Unheralded Heroes
'Wings of Defiance' revisits the squadron's audacious combat actions. It details the historic dogfight over Boyra and the daring Kilo Flight raids in December 1971 on the Narayanganj and Chittagong oil depots in East Pakistan (now Bangladesh). These strikes, executed with minimal instruments and maximum risk, crippled Pakistan's war logistics. The airmen relied on little more than raw courage, a compass, and unwavering conviction.
Dasgupta's extensive research aimed to capture the "pulse of a covert mission," transporting viewers back to an era of whispered planning and perilous execution. He highlights that this is history that seldom made headlines but is a memory that powerfully refuses to stay buried. The film stands as a testament to the joint struggle and the indomitable spirit that gave a nascent nation its wings.
