After the change in Bangladeshi regime, the new distribution sees China as a bigger ally, as it is far from Bangladeshi's longtime friend India. This is because India and Bangladesh are making progress, and India is investing in bilateral relations by establishing new economic corridors, railways and road routes for trade and setting up land ports to promote trade between the two countries.
MD Yunus, Chief Advisor to Bangladesh's Interim Government, has caused a stir with comments to the Northeast, beyond the strategy and military concerns of what MD Yunus said, but Bangladesh is crossing India to protect its closest neighbors from economic activity in Bangladesh. According to the Indian Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF), a trusted foundation established by the Indian Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industry, the Government of India. Bangladesh is India's largest trading partner in the subcontinent, with India being the second largest export partner, accounting for 12% of total exports to Bangladesh. Total trade sales for fiscal 2022 reached US$129 billion.
India exported 5,620 goods to Bangladesh in 2004, with exports to India to Bangladesh at USD 11.06 billion in 2003 and USD 122.1 billion in 2003. India imported 1,012 items from Bangladesh in 2004. According to the IBEF, India's imports from Bangladesh from Bangladesh were US$1.8 billion in 2024 and US$2.3 billion in 2023.
However, Bangladesh's new government is only in place until elections are held and democratically elected governments are established, not until elections are held, so it aims to change the status quo not only on security and strategic matters, but also on economic activities towards China over India.
Bangladesh is currently considering China with a focus on investment, which is outlined in a briefing at the Bangladesh Academy of Foreign Affairs by officials of the Bangladesh administration. Apart from manufacturing, Bangladesh is seeking investments in infrastructure, renewable energy, AI and technology with a $2.1 billion commitment from China, and this time Bangladesh is seeking more investments than loans. The interim Bangladeshi government, which claims $2.1 billion, is an investment commitment by around 30 Chinese companies. Bangladesh is also driving the 150-acre Chinese economy and industrial area of Anowara.
Healthcare is another sector the new government wants to bring China to India. 1lakh of Bangladeshi patients travel to India every year for treatment. “The transport movement from Bangladesh for advanced medical care, usually heading to India and Thailand, is currently trying to provide that help and support to us from China,” said Bida & Beza Chairman Ashik Chowdhury. “We can get the most investment from China and we have doubts about that,” Chowdhury said.
Chowdhury continues, “Our vision is to convert Bangladesh into a manufacturing hub. Bangladesh will emerge as a factory in the world. We are not asking Chinese investors to come here to touch only the local market in Bangladesh. We are thinking of the port of Matalbari, Chittagong Bay Terminal. Once we have port connections, Bangladesh can establish itself as a manufacturing hub and export to Southeast Asia and potentially other worlds.”
“We bring this proposal to the Chinese and based on this, they show a lot of interest. We hope to see a future set of investments for this. We have upcoming summits. The Chinese delegation is the largest. Chinese investors say they will come. We promise 15 Chinese investors independently, and he visits Anowala in Chittagong.
For India, this could pose a challenge, especially for the Northeast. China's presence in this region could make chicken necks (Shiriguri corridors) even more vulnerable. Chittagong is a port India is strategically considering with Bangladesh. India is already developing an infrastructure connecting Tripura to Chittagong port.
The paper in the title, Using Chatgram Port as a transport hub for Northeast India Issued by the Asian Development Bank highlights why Chittagong is important for India's northeast. The paper states, “It currently takes about 7 days to reach Ashganj from Kolkata on the river route. Chattogram port is a more viable option due to the shorter transport distances, especially for South Assam, Tripura, Manipur and Mizoram.[1]It is more efficient than the corridors of Shiriguri. ”
“For example, the distance by road from Kolkata Port to Agartala, about 1,570 km via the Siliguri corridor, requires a transportation time of 8-10 days and a transportation cost of 6,300 Rs. From now on, the inland distance from Chattogram Port to Acartala is promoted by the transportation time and cost of this movement, as shared by various logistics service providers in the region, is driven by the transportation cost of 5,000 Rs. The Asian Development Bank paper has a delay at Chattogram Port if Chattogram is a significant delay as a transportation option.
India is also investing in developing road links from the South Ripura subroom to the Phoeni River Bridge and the Chattgram Port where the bridge at Bangladesh Mately Bridge was completed. The road from Seburoom to Chattgram through Ramgarh, Bangladesh, will reduce the distance to about 85km and make it more economically viable for transporting goods to the northeastern region of India through the port.
It is this economic threat to India that has been more aggressively nurtured by politicians from the northeast, particularly Tripura. Anti-Indian sentiment in the region, especially among the indigenous tribe population, can be ignored, despite the anti-Indian elements seeking to promote the agenda within Bangladesh. Pradyot Manikiya, founder of Tipra Mosa, the second largest party in Tripura, is calling for India's national interests to be secured in the region.
“Instead of spending billions of dollars on innovative and challenging engineering ideas, we may disband Bangladesh and have access to the sea. The road on the Hills of Chittagong has been inhabited by indigenous peoples who have always wanted to be part of India since 1947. They are being used for our national interests and their well-being,” says Pradiot Manikiya.
Instead of spending billions on innovative and rewarding engineering ideas, we will dissolve Bangladesh and have access to the ocean. Chittagong Hill has always been home to indigenous peoples since 1947 who always wanted to be part of India. There… https://t.co/rcjs6msae7
– Pradyot_tripura (@pradyotmanikya) April 1, 2025
