India strengthens defence ties with Bangladesh
By
Sarath Kumara
18 April 2017
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina concluded a four-day trip to India last week—her first visit since 2010—during which she signed a range of defence and other agreements to strengthen relations between the two countries. India, backed by the US, is keen to undermine its regional rival China’s growing influence in Bangladesh.
Last June, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Dhaka and signed 22 agreements, including on maritime security and to establish special economic zones in Bangladesh. Later in the year Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar travelled to Bangladesh, accompanied India’s coast guard chief and the vice-chiefs of the army, air force and navy. Parrikar discussed the finalisation of “a new defence cooperation framework” with Bangladesh.
Hasina held discussions last week with Modi on defence, regional security and cooperation in “combating international terrorism.” Officials from Bangladesh and India signed a range of agreements, including defence, cyber security, information technology, connectivity, energy and human resource development, and a civil nuclear cooperation pact.
New Delhi offered Dhaka a $US4.5 billion concessionary line of credit for development projects in Bangladesh. Modi declared that the line of credit “brings our resources allocation to Bangladesh to more than $8 billion over the past six years.” This finance, however, is small compared the $30 billion in investment promised during President Xi Jinping’s visit to Bangladesh last October. Beijing is concerned about Washington’s efforts to enlist India as a “frontline” state in its military encirclement of China. Last November in Tokyo Modi signed a defence agreement…