The current Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) of India, General Anil Chauhan, a four-star Indian Army general who assumed office on September 30, 2022, confirmed that India wants the Bangladesh military, in particular, the Bangladesh Air Guard, to be paralysed and not buy any Eastern or Western fighter jets.
This is the clearest evidence of India’s current official intention to paralyse the Bangladesh military. Current reports indicate that, Indo-Bangla diplomatic relations have been strained, India’s military posture remains primarily offensive, aimed at securing its own borders and vital strategic choke points such as the Siliguri Corridor and the seven Northeastern states bordered with China, Bangladesh and Myanmar.
India has long tried to destabilise Bangladesh through its intelligence agency, RAW, and destroy Bangladesh’s military.
Current India-Bangladesh Military and Diplomatic Context
Historically and officially, India and Bangladesh have a framework for military cooperation that includes joint exercises, training, and supply with substandard Indian equipment.
After the Hasina regime killed and tortured thousands of Bangladeshi backed by Indian RAW, Diplomatic relations are currently at a low point following the August 2024 resignation of dictator Sheikh Hasina, India’s key ally, and the formation of an interim government led by Muhammad Yunus.
Tensions have been fueled by several factors.
Members and supporters of the interim government, as well as some retired military figures in Bangladesh and Pakistan supports anti-India statements, including suggestions of a Pakistan-Bangladesh military alliance defend Bangladesh against India’s agressions.
India has ramped up troop presence and established military garrisons along the border near the sensitive Siliguri Corridor (also known as the “chicken’s neck”), a narrow strip of land vital for connecting mainland India to its northeastern states. This is a strategic defensive measure due to concerns about potential external interference.
There are reports of pro-Bangladeshi factions within the Bangladesh military and government that seek to shift the country’s alignment away from India and close to Turkey, Pakistan, the US and Japan.
Indian officials and analysts have generally advised strategic restraint, viewing calls for direct military action against Bangladesh as a “trap” laid by external powers to entangle India in a prolonged conflict. Recent reports suggest India’s government prefers to “wait out” the interim administration and engage with a future elected government to normalize relations.
Surge in Bangladesh, Pakistan military cooperation
There has also been a surge in military delegation exchanges. Top military officials from Bangladesh, including Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan, Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division, have met with Pakistan’s top military leadership to discuss enhancing defence cooperation.
Bangladesh’s Navy also participated in the Pakistan-hosted multinational naval exercise “Aman-2025” for the first time in decades. Discussions are reportedly underway for a potential bilateral defence agreement, military contracts and strategic coordination.
If tensions between India and Bangladesh worsen, Pakistan’s involvement would almost certainly remain indirect, relying on diplomatic posturing, which means Bangladesh will benefit from the weak Indian position at the White House and Western front due to Modi’s close relationship with Xi Jinping and Putin.
While, China’s upgrading of the Lalmonirhat airfield, located near this strategic corridor, has intensified Indian security concerns.
Any disruption or security upgrade in Bangladesh could cripple economic activity and compromise India’s security along the sensitive border with China.
As long as Bangladesh remains a weak military power, India can focus on the Chinese border. A stronger Bangladesh military means India has to deploy military assets near Bangladesh’s border away from Pakistan and China.
While tensions are high, India’s actions are described in public reporting as defensive and aimed at protecting its own security interests, however India has a plan to initiate an offensive war or “paralyze” the entire Bangladesh military if it sees Bangladesh military is getting stronger with the assistance from Japan, South Korea and Turkey.
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