After Pakistan, this country is supporting Bangladesh, agrees to give weapons to Dhaka, big worry for India due to…
Turkey, another friend of Pakistan, is now aiming to deepen its cooperation with Bangladesh as well. Turkiye will cooperate for the defence industry in Bangladesh, a top Turkiye’s defence official said on Tuesday, reported news agency ANI. In a Facebook post, the Bangladesh Army said, “Secretary of Defence Industries of Turkiye H. E. Prof. Haluk Gorgun paid a courtesy visit to the Chief of Army Staff at Army Headquarters today. During the meeting, along with an exchange of greetings, they discussed strengthening the existing defence cooperation between the two countries.”
Furthermore, it added, “H.E. Secretary assured extended cooperation and support for the development of the defence industry in Bangladesh. CAS expressed his desire in producing various modern military equipment and developing defence technologies in Bangladesh in close cooperation with Turkiye.”
The Bangladesh Army stated that Turkish military officials have promised full support to Bangladesh’s defense industry. They said that with Turkey’s assistance, modern weapons will also be manufactured in Bangladesh.
Which country is behind this growing military alliance with Dhaka?
Bangladesh Investment Development Authority (BIDA) Chairman Ashiq Chowdhury recently visited a military factory during his visit to Turkiye. Defense cooperation between Bangladesh and Turkiye is growing day by day.
In 2022, Bangladesh became the main buyer of Turkish defense equipment and weapons. Turkiye’s space industry chief paid a courtesy call on Bangladesh’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Touhid Hossain in the sideline of Anadolu Diplomacy Conference in April. They discussed about the cooperation in space industry between the two countries.
“Bangladesh purchases weapons including drones from Turkiye. There is a good understanding between the two countries in military cooperation. Cooperation is being strengthened in the current global situation”, Mosud Mannan, a former Bangladesh Ambassador to Turkiye, spoke to news agency ANI.
Why is this arms deal causing concern for India?
Earlier on Tuesday, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan stated that a potential convergence of China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh could have significant implications for regional stability and security dynamics. Gen Chauhan spoke at the launch of the ORF Foreign Policy Survey in the national capital.”The Indian Ocean Region (IOR) has allowed outside powers to leverage their influence through debt diplomacy, creating vulnerabilities for India. Similarly, frequent shifts in government in South Asia, with changing geopolitical equations and ideological views, pose another major challenge. Additionally, a possible convergence of interests between China, Pakistan, and Bangladesh may have security implications for regional stability and dynamics”, CDS Gen Chauhan said during the event, ANI reported.
Turkey’s increasing footprint in Bangladesh is bringing three of India’s primary regional rivals together. To this point, India has expressed concern about the rising influence from Pakistan and China in Bangladesh, but with Turkey’s entry, New Delhi will have serious strategic concerns to deal with.
Worsening these concerns, Turkey has agreed to manufacture weapons for the Bangladeshi military, which has the potential to greatly enhance Dhaka’s defense and military capabilities. Given the current political instability in Bangladesh, this increasingly close military relationship between Turkey and Bangladesh could have serious security implications for India’s northeastern border states.
(With agencies inputs)
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