India alert as China announces Bangladesh projects on India border
China is investing in large infrastructure projects in Bangladesh that could have strategic implications for India. The announcements have put India on the alert. China is making special overtures to favour the caretaker government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. The Yunus administration was installed with the support of those who ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is now in exile in India. There have been significant atrocities against Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh during and after the coup that ousted Hasina. India does not enjoy the same partnership that had come to be forged with the ousted Hasina government.
China Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen recently announced three hospitals in Bangladesh - a 1,000-bed specialty hospital in Nilphamari as a gift, a 500–700-bed facility in South Karnaphuli, Chittagong, and a 100-bed rehabilitation centre in Dhamrai, Dhaka, for patients with disabilities. The two hospitals – in Nilphamari and Karnaphuli - are being built close to India’s border.
More importantly, China has commitment to execute the controversial Teesta River water-management project. This project bears significant importance for West Bengal and eastern India. Sharing of Teesta river water has been a matter of bilateral dispute with Bangladesh demanding a higher share than what it gets now.
China’s Ambassador Yao Wen didn’t mince words when talking about the projects announced saying they signal a deepening of Beijing’s influence in Bangladesh. Wen said China’s engagement with Bangladesh transcends political regimes and is for the benefit of the people. He also pointedly said the Chinese help does counter the “crazy” U.S. policies under the Trump administration.
China is investing in large infrastructure projects in Bangladesh that could have strategic implications for India. The announcements have put India on the alert. China is making special overtures to favour the caretaker government led by Chief Advisor Muhammad Yunus. The Yunus administration was installed with the support of those who ousted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina who is now in exile in India. There have been significant atrocities against Hindus and minorities in Bangladesh during and after the coup that ousted Hasina. India does not enjoy the same partnership that had come to be forged with the ousted Hasina government. 
