On Sunday, a U.S. Air Force C-130J Super Hercules landed in Chittagong, Bangladesh. The aircraft is usually based in Japan, but this time it touched down just miles from India’s northeast and Myanmar.
It was not a routine stop. It was the latest move in a string of military exercises that are changing the balance of power in India’s neighborhood.
From Protests to Power Shifts
Bangladesh has been unsettled since last July, when student protests forced Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to flee. Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took over as interim leader, and his close ties to Washington immediately stirred speculation of U.S. involvement.
That backdrop matters. Each American move is now read through the lens of alleged meddling.
A Flurry of Military Drills
In the past 60 days, Bangladesh and the U.S. have conducted three joint exercises:
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Tiger Lightning in late July, focusing on counter-terror and jungle warfare.
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Tiger Shark in early August, involving special forces and U.S. weapons.
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Pacific Angel 23 this week, bringing in air forces from Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and the U.S.
This tempo is unusual. And it is not without mystery. A U.S. Special Forces soldier who had been stationed in Dhaka since April was recently found dead in a local hotel. The U.S. embassy declined to explain. Indian agencies reportedly viewed the case with concern.
The Myanmar Connection
Why Bangladesh? Look east.
Myanmar is in civil war. Both Washington and Beijing are courting rebel groups fighting the junta. Bangladesh’s short border with Myanmar links Chittagong to Rakhine State — a flashpoint for aid, arms, and influence.
Earlier this year, the UN floated an “aid corridor” from Chittagong into Myanmar. Yunus backed the plan, but the Bangladeshi army pushed back, warning it threatened sovereignty. The corridor stalled. But the drills now underway are taking place in the same region, near the Chittagong Hill Tracts.
India’s Strategic Dilemma
Should New Delhi worry?
Some drills, like Tiger Shark, date back to 2009. But context has changed. With Hasina gone, India has lost a trusted partner in Dhaka. Yunus has strained ties, while both the U.S. and China are pressing for space.
China, in particular, is advancing quickly:
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A $500 million Teesta River project once eyed for India is now set to go to Beijing.
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Dhaka is reportedly considering Chinese J-10 fighter jets for its aging air force.
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Beijing is building ports in Bangladesh and Myanmar, giving it direct access to the Bay of Bengal.
For Washington, the goal is to block that expansion — and to keep tabs on India. For Beijing, it is to break through into the eastern Indian Ocean.
A Risky Game in Dhaka
Bangladesh has become the stage for a rivalry larger than itself. Yunus’s government is now balancing between two powers with competing agendas.
For India, this is no longer a distant chess match. What happens in Dhaka could tilt the balance in the Bay of Bengal and along India’s sensitive northeast.
The danger is not just military. It is political. Bangladesh risks being pulled apart by the very forces it has invited in.
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