Chinese Airfield in Bangladesh, needs to be prevented at all cost

Shrimati Indira Gandhi had contemplated a joint Special Forces / IAF strike on Pakistani Nuclear facilities at Kahuta in early 1980’s but it did not materialize.

Pakistan became a nuclear weapons power. Again India did nothing to prevent China from constructing a major port at Gwadar with naval facilities.

Now comes a report of a potential Chinese-backed airbase in Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district. This simply cannot be permitted, specially in view of its vicinity to India’s strategically crucial Silliguri corridor and overall Security of the Sub Continent.

Though the veracity of these claims need confirmation, the reported location’s proximity to India’s narrow north-eastern corridor and coinciding diplomatic shifts in Bangladesh’s foreign relations with China and Pakistan cannot be taken lightly.

In case required IAF should carry out aerial sweeps over the area, let Bangladesh go and protest wherever it wants to go. This should be the Red Line clearly drawn by India for rest of the World to see.

No niceties of diplomacy need to be followed in this case. The fiasco involving ouster of Sheikh Hassina was a huge failure for India and therefore now there is just no space left for another mishap.

In late 2024, a report claimed that Bangladesh planned to construct Asia’s second-largest airbase in Lalmonirhat district with technical assistance from China.

The Bangladesh Air Force had plans for an expansive 700-acre airbase designed to accommodate 70 fighter jets near the strategically significant Chicken’s Neck area.

The proposed facility was to include not only combat Squadrons but also, a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) depot, and an aerospace technology university.

The proposal may have been taken up by Muhammad Yunus during his visit to China in March 2025, though official announcements after the visit have made no reference to such a project.

It is just not the Siliguri Corridor, a narrow 60-kilometer long and 22-kilometer wide passage in West Bengal serves as the only land connection between India’s northeastern states and the rest of the country, which is of concern.

It is the entire sub continent which is India’s sphere of concern. Bangladesh’s importance is magnified by its location, wedged near Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, Bay of Bengal and and proximity to Tibet and further up China.

Any Chinese / Pakistani or Foreign military installation just cannot be permitted within Bangladesh as it had significant security implications for India.

In fact the Siliguri Corridor is often described as India’s “Achilles heel” in its defence strategy against an offensive by PLA from Tibet. The narrow passage makes defence inherently challenging.

An advance of just 130 kilometres by PLA could potentially cut off approximately 50 million people in India’s north-eastern states from the rest of the country.

The deployment of any Chinese or foreign air assets, artillery, or anti-aircraft weaponry in this region could jeopardize India’s ability to resupply the north-eastern region in case of conflict.

Thus Bangladesh should be warned without any ambiguity about India’s RED LINE.Apart from growing closer Bangladesh-China ties, relations between Bangladesh and Pakistan have shown signs of improvement following illegal political changes in Bangladesh through a Coup.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar is scheduled to visit Bangladesh from April 24, 2025, marking the first ministerial visit from Pakistan to Bangladesh since 2012.

This visit follows an extended period of strained relations during Sheikh Hasina’s 15-year administration.

The Pakistani Foreign Minister has described Bangladesh as a “brotherly country,” stating that Pakistan would extend all possible help to Dhaka.

Several restrictions on import and export of goods between the two countries have already been lifted, and direct trade through sea routes has been established.

The reported diplomatic realignments in the region—with Bangladesh strengthening ties with both China and Pakistan—represent a potential strategic challenge for India.

Economic cooperation is ok but military cooperation needs to be prevented at all cost. India needs to maintain stability in South Asia in its own national interest.

Just like Ukraine cannot join NATO, Bangladesh cannot have a Chinese / Pakistani military base.