Historic ‘Dakota’ aircraft installed at BAF museum

‘Dakota’ aircraft that the Indian Air Force (IAF) had gifted Bangladesh has been inducted in the Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) Museum in Tejgaon.

IAF gifts vintage Dakota aircraft to Bangladesh

This Dakota aircraft took part in the para-drop operations in Tangail just five days before Bangladesh’s victory over Pakistan on Dec 16, 1971.

Dakota aircraft has special significance for BAF as the force began its journey from Nagaland, Dimapur on Sep 28 during the Liberation War with one Dakota DC-3, one Otter aircraft, and one Alluette helicopter.

The IAF handed over this aircraft in September last year from its museum to BAF following a formal request.

It was later flown in from New Delhi in a dismantled state in the IAF’s C-17 Globemaster aircraft and then was reassembled in Dhaka.

The Indian High Commission in Dhaka said Air Marshal SB Deo, the Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief of India’s Eastern Air Command, formally handed over the aircraft to the museum in a ceremony on Monday.