Although the purpose of the Chinese presence so close to this passage is unclear, the development could increase India’s strategic vulnerability.
What is the legacy of Lalmonirhat airbase?Built as a military base in 1931 by the British government, Lalmonirhat airbase was used by allied forces during World War II as a forward airbase for its operations on the eastern front.
After the Partition, Pakistan briefly reopened it in 1958 for civilian use. Since then, it has been largely abandoned, despite its sprawling 1,166 acres and facilities including a 4-km runway and large tarmac.
During the tenure of the Sheikh Hasina government in 2019, a plot in the base was given to Bangladesh Aerospace and Aviation University there, which is now operational under the Bangladesh Air Force.
More recently, the interim administration led by Mohammed Yunus has proposed reviving Lalmonirhat and five other British-era airports to boost the economy. The other airports include Ishwardi, Thakurgaon, Shamshernagar, Comilla, and Bogra.
He brought the matter during his visit to China last month, when he made the controversial remarks saying that Bangladesh is the only guardian of the ocean for the entire region including the northeast of India.
What this could mean for India’s Northeast?
The security of Chicken’s Neck Corridor, which is just 22 km wide and connects eight Northeastern states to the mainland, is vital due to potential Chinese involvement in developing the airbase.
This could enable the Chinese to keep an eye on Indian military movements or gather intelligence near the Siliguri Corridor, said Sriparna Pathak, China Studies professor at OP Jindal Global University, as reported by The Times of India.
Thus, any threat to the corridor could have a destabilising effect on India’s access to its North-eastern region, which includes Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Meghalaya and Sikkim.
China’s growing military & economic interests in Bangladesh
China is not just trying to establish footprint in Bangladesh militarily, but also through economic projects.
Reports suggest that Chinese companies are building factories and a solar power plant near Rangpur, planning a satellite city.
As per a Dhaka-based journalist, who refuses to reveal his name, told TOI that these factories are operated almost entirely by Chinese personnel, with not much involvement from local workers.
Besides, China remains a key supplier of military equipment to Bangladesh. Deepening defence ties between Dhaka and Beijing under the current regime has been a major concern for India as a neighbour.
Kalpit Mankikar, a fellow of China-Taiwan Studies at the Observer Research Foundation, stated to TOI, “One thing is China has definite plans for that region. All this while those plans may have been dormant because [deposed Bangladesh PM] Sheikh Hasina was more accommodative towards India’s interests. Now, with the regime change and Mohammed Yunus’ open offer that Bangladesh can serve as a fountainhead against India, China would definitely be tempted to take up the offer [the airport project].”
He added, “We don’t know yet what are China’s plans for the project. But this could be used to monitor civilian and military movement to Northeast from the rest of India and vice versa.”
How Pakistan is involved
Reports suggest that the work on the airport is likely to start in October, and China will engage a Pakistani company as the sub-contractor for the work.
Before Chinese officials visited Lalmonirhat, a Pakistani military-intelligence delegation inspected some border areas of Bangladesh.
Indian agencies are watching whether the air base would be used for civilian purposes, training or to deploy military aircraft. “We need to see if Bangladesh will allow other countries like China and Pakistan to use it. Bangladesh has the right to develop airfields for their security reasons, but that should not be used against India,” defence officials said, as per the Assam Tribune report.
Historically, the Pakistani spy agency, ISI, had close links with armed separatist groups in India’s Northeast, many operating from Bangladesh until a crackdown launched by the Awami League government in 2009.
