Ties between India and Bangladesh have grown increasingly strained since the Sheikh Hasina government was removed from power, and the mood in Dhaka toward New Delhi has not improved under her successors. After Mohammad Yunus, Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has also shown an attitude that looks laced with scheming against India, and breaking with tradition, he chose China as the destination for his very first foreign trip, a move widely read as a signal in itself.
From the Teesta project to Lalmonirhat, China gets an open invite
Ever since the change of power in Bangladesh, the people now running Dhaka have been busy handing China ground to gain a foothold along the border areas. Whether it is the Teesta project or the plan to develop the Lalmonirhat airbase, China is being openly welcomed at both sites.
Why Chinese presence near the Chicken's Neck is worrying
Lalmonirhat in Bangladesh sits close to the Siliguri Corridor, commonly known as the Chicken's Neck. That proximity makes China's presence there not just strategically risky but a serious source of concern for India. Reports indicate Beijing has already built a massive hangar at the site, underlining just how much interest China has developed in the area.
India keeps a close watch, tightens security of the corridor
India has kept a sharp eye on every Chinese move in neighbouring Bangladesh. Several steps have already been taken to shore up security along the narrow land corridor that forms the Chicken's Neck.
After the Army chief, now Amit Shah heads to the border
How sensitive this stretch is can be gauged from the fact that Union Home Minister Amit Shah is travelling to the Chicken's Neck, that is, Siliguri, right after Indian Army Chief General Dhiraj Seth's own visit there. Amit Shah is expected to review the security situation on the ground and hold direct talks with BSF personnel during his visit.
