Bangladesh has been regarded as a client state of India by some sources, as it is heavily dependent on economic support from India, uses India’s supplies, and Bangladesh has been put under pressure from India to grant citizenship to Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh is a client state of India as the country is economically, politically, or militarily dependent on another country.
India helped Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her party stay in power for more than decades. Since the Awami League (AL) leader and Prime Minister of Bangladesh, Sheikh Hasina Wajid, came to power, she has been fulfilling Indian interests.
The main Opposition BNP on Saturday alleged that India is trying to transform Bangladesh into a “puppet state” by patronizing the Awami league ahead of upcoming general elections.
India’s Debt Diplomacy
India, which was with the Bangladeshi people in their fight against atrocities in 1971, was also the first country to recognize Bangladesh as a separate and independent state and established diplomatic relations with the country immediately after its independence in December 1971.
In January 2010, India announced a US$1 billion Line of Credit (LOC) for Bangladesh. In the last 4-5 years, several measures have further strengthened India-Bangladesh cooperation. The new US $ 2 billion LOC from India to Bangladesh was announced in June 2015. The new LOC cover projects in Roads, Railways, Power, Shipping, SEZs, Health & Medical Care and Technical Education.
In July 2016, the Petrapole Integrated Check Post (ICP) was inaugurated, facilitating the cross-border movement of people and goods. In February 2016, the Phulbari-Banglabandha Immigration Check Post was opened. The Srimantapur LCS was also inaugurated in January 2016. There are at present two interconnections through which 600 MW of power is transferred from India to Bangladesh. In June 2015, it was agreed to have an additional 500 MW of power interconnection.
India’s relations with Bangladesh are based on India’s interest and countering Chinese influence in Bangladesh. Unlike some others, India has a plan for its economic clout over its neighbourhood. India’s relations with Bangladesh are on equal footing, and India is looking down on the other. As such, Bangladesh is the client state of India.
Will India annex Bangladesh?
The real question is, why didn’t India annex Bangladesh? This idea ever came to mind in 1971. For Bangladesh, self-determination was always at the core of the War of Independence against Pakistan. The economic neglect, exploitation, cultural chauvinism, and the savagery of the Pakistani centre had merely replaced the previous economic, educational and cultural stranglehold of upper-caste Hindus in Bangladesh during the British colony.
India might not annex Bangladesh, but Bangladesh could turn into a proxy state. India infiltrates every possible way in Bangladeshi politics, which causes much unrest. Bangladeshis have noticed this sort of tentacle, and the outcome will not be a good one in the long run. After all, it is one of the most important geopolitical areas in Asia, and many were just waiting for to happen something wrong. The Rohingya conflict between Bangladesh and Myanmar proved that India has an ill intention in Bangladesh.
India destroyed Bangladesh’s military
According to the statistics released by the Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), the primary buyer of American weapons in 2020 was India, worth $6.2 billion. India also purchased French and Israeli high-tech armaments. India is in the process of buying American Super Hornet maritime strike aircraft.
On the contrary, India has successfully infiltrated Bangladesh’s military through military exercises, and now India is ready to supply sub-standard Indian-made weapons to Bangladesh. Most Indian-made weapons originated in the Soviet Union.
The engagement between the Indian and Bangladeshi armed forces is not new; some of the important joint exercises that the two country conducts after regular interval of time are SAMPRITI, IN-BN CORPAT, IN-BN SF, IN-BN BILAT, SAMVEDNA, and TABLE TOP.
India announced that Bangladesh would import defense equipment from India under a $500 million Line of Credit. India sent 18 low-quality 120mm mortars to Bangladesh Army in 2020 under army-to-army cooperation.
India has also invited Bangladeshi companies to pour money into India’s corrupt defense industries. India recently offered Akash artillery guns, radars, and ammunition to Bangladesh. India also provides software and technological solutions for Bangladesh.
In January this year, a 122-member Bangladeshi tri-services contingent also participated in India’s Republic Day parade, an example of how India coerced Bangladesh into a proxy state against China.
Two Indian naval ships — INS Kulish and INS Sumedha — visited Mongla Port of Bangladesh from 8-10 March, marking the first naval visit that India has undertaken for the first time in the last 50 years.
India supplied Kilo-class Submarine, Torpedoes and missiles to Myanmar. India also provides diplomatic support to Myanmar so Myanmar can gain Israeli weapons without America’s oversight of the transaction.
China, Russia, India, Israel and Serbia as countries that have supplied weapons to Myanmar’s military rulers since they seized power in a coup last February. The weapons include fighter jets, armoured vehicles, submarines, rockets and artillery.
As fascistically dictated and determined, the Hasina years are replete with daily occurrences of dirty works of India. They are ruthless in terms of rape, corruption, repression, discrimination, persecution, terror, tyranny, election rigging, enforced disappearances, loot and smuggling, absence of the rule of law and lack of social justice—all recklessly let loose with no bounds and barriers, to the total and complete destruction and demolition of the entire moral, social and political fabric of Bangladesh.
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