Dhaka, Oct 29
Under the interim government led by Muhammad Yunus, Bangladesh has gradually drifted into a Chinese-built security ecosystem that undermines not only regional balance but also the very idea of strategic diversity in South Asia, a report has highlighted.
The clearest sign of this shift came recently, when the interim cabinet approved a $2.2 billion deal to purchase 20 Chinese J-10CE fighter jets. The report noted that this move was part of a broader pattern coming only days after Pakistan’s Director-General Joint Staff, Tabassum Habib, visited Dhaka, signalling the renewal of high-level military contacts.
“Bangladesh today stands at an inflection point — one that could redefine South Asia’s geopolitical balance. The ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August of 2024 left a vacuum at the heart of the country’s foreign policy. What has followed is a rapid shift away from Hasina’s “India-first†approach to one that embraces China and Pakistan as new security partners,†a report in American magazine ‘The National Interest’ detailed.
It stated that while Beijing’s growing dominance grabs headlines, the dynamics are more intricate — and Washington still has scope to shape Dhaka’s choices with the right approach.
According to the report, Bangladesh has entered into a new trilateral forum with China and Pakistan, while initiating fresh military training exchanges with Islamabad. It added that Bangladesh, once firmly aligned with India, now appears equally comfortable with China and Pakistan.
“China’s approach has been both material and symbolic. The J-10 sale comes alongside promises of defence industrial cooperation, port upgrades, and symbolic gestures—President Xi’s March 2025 meeting with Yunus reaffirmed Bangladesh’s importance to China’s South Asia strategy. Pakistan’s parallel outreach—offering co-production and training—further embeds Dhaka in an emerging Sino-Pak defence ecosystem,†the report stressed.
As Beijing and Islamabad have moved swiftly in engaging with Dhaka, it said, Washington has been lagging behind and lacking in strategic focus.
“The biggest recent US-Bangladesh deals have been commercial, not military. In July 2025, Bangladesh ordered 25 Boeing passenger planes in addition to increased wheat and cotton imports as part of a package to lower the US trade deficit. These moves helped Bangladesh lobby against looming US tariffs but did little to advance American strategic interests in the region,†the report emphasised.
- IANS
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