Bangladesh: China Eyes Mongla Port in Bay of Bengal
Ding Xuexiang, Executive Vice Premier of China met Muhammad Yunus (Image credit X.com)
China Assures Bangladesh to Undertake Mongla Port Modernization
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, March 27: In a development that may raise eyebrows in Delhi, China assured Bangladesh to take up modernization of the Mongla Port. China’s interest in Mongla Port could give Beijing an eye to India’s eastern region, particularly West Bengal.
China’s Executive Vice-Premier Ding Xuexiang on Thursday Bangladesh Interim Government met Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus. They met on the sidelines of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference in Hainan, an island province of China.
Yunus is likely to meet China’s President Xi Jinping. Ding told Yunus that “China will fund modernisation of the Mongla Port”. Bangladesh is part of China’s Belt and Road Initiative.
Battling mounting debt crisis, Yunus is visiting China with hopes to gain concessions on Chinese loan repayments. Bangladesh is staring at a major debt crisis.
The Mongla Port is in the Khulna district of Bangladesh. This is the second busiest port of Bangladesh after Chittagong.
China’s interest in the Mongla Port will be utmost strategic interests, stated defence experts. This will allow China an access into the Bay of Bengal for the first time. Also, the Kolkata Port looks over the Mongla Port.
China already has strategic interests in Sri Lanka with involvement in the Hambantota Port. Besides, China is building the Gwadar Port in Balchistan province of Pakistan.
With interests in the Mongla Port, China will gain access to India’s proximity in a U-shape – Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Pakistan. Yunus also requested Ding to fund Bangladeshi shipping firm to build three oceanic research vessels.
China’s oceanic research vessels often foray into the waters of the Indian Ocean around Sri Lanka and Maldives to raise concerns in India. It’s not immediately known if the Bangladeshi oceanic research vessels to be built with Chinese funding will undertake assignments on instructions of Beijing.
The oceanic research vessels of China are often called spy ships. With the Mongla Port and interests in the oceanic research vessels, China may gain eyes to look at India’s eastern regions in close proximity.
Yunus is seen bending backwards to appease China with hopes for relief on loan repayments. China is the fourth largest lender to Bangladesh. Bangladesh is facing an economic disruption after the violent overthrow of the Sheikh Hasina-led government.
China and Bangladesh are exchanging high level visits in quick successions. Hasina before her ouster had also gone to China with hopes for loan repayment relief. But China had spurned Hasina’s pleas.
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