As far back as March, 2010, when Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited Beijing, China offered to provide assistance to develop this port. The two countries also explored the possibility of connecting Chittagong with Kunming in the Yunnan province of China with road and rail links running through Myanmar. Such a link would give China direct access to the Bay of Bengal, just as the Gwadar port in Pakistan has given it access to the Arabian Sea.

This was part of a bigger plan that involved Sri Lanka and Myanmar as well. The defeat of Mahinda Rajapaksa and victory of Maithripala Sirisena in the February elections was a major setback for China. Sirisena decided to review all the projects the Chinese were building with huge investments. One was the $1.5 billion Colombo Port City. The other was the Hambantota port, far south in Sri Lanka on the Bay of Bengal. It was to be built in two phases at a total cost of $1169 million. Sirisena also announced that no Chinese submarines would be allowed to dock in Sri Lanka.

A similar development took place in neighbouring Myanmar though for different reasons. China wanted a 1200 km long railway line from Yunnan to the southernmost tip of Myanmar on the Bay of Bengal at a cost of $20 billion. But due to strong protests from the Myanmarese people living in the area through which the line would have passed, the project had to be abandoned. The people were against the project for two reasons: the large-scale eviction that it would cause and its negative impact on ecology and environment. The Myanmar Government also developed cold feet because of the high cost.

Rumours have also persisted since 1994-95 that the Chinese were allowed to set up a naval base in the Coco Islands where they had set up a powerful electronic ‘listening post.’ Though both sides denied these reports, India’s apprehensions were never allayed because of the Island’s proximity to the Andaman Islands where India’s first and only joint three services unified command is headquartered.

To turn to Bangladesh again. The Chinese have long been busy constructing many projects in the port city of Chittagong, like a water treatment facility, a private power plant as well as an international airport at the fishing port of Cox’s Bazar, some 135 kms south of Chittagong. Then comes the proposed high-profile deep-sea port at Sonadia, off Cox’s Bazar. China made a tempting offer to build the port by sharing 99 per cent of the cost of construction of around $5 billion.

From the Chinese point of view, Sonadia will be one more ‘pearl’ in the string to encircle India. The first phase was scheduled to be completed this year (2015). But recent reports suggest that Bangladesh is not very keen on signing the MoU for the project with China, because it will give the Chinese the right to maintenance and operation of the project which can be used both as a naval and a commercial hub.

Bangladesh is said to be chary of building Sonadia port with Chinese help because of the likely negative impact China’s naval presence will have on Indo-Bangla bilateral relations. The Adani group of Gautam Adani, close to the Prime Minister, is reported to have shown interest in the Sonadia port and may make an offer to Bangladesh to build it. Sonadia has great geostrategic importance for both India and China.

A Chinese naval presence at Sonadia cannot but pose a challenge to India by widening and strengthening China’s footprint in the Indian Ocean Region. Bangladesh is believed to be having second thoughts over building the Sonadia port with Chinese help, for fear that it may annoy India and become an irritant in their mutual relationship.

Bangladesh help is essential to India for combating the ultras of the north-eastern region who have suddenly become very active after recently floating an umbrella organization of nine militant bodies named ‘United National Liberation Front of West South Asia’. This body has claimed responsibility for the attack on the convoy of the 6 Dogra Regiment at Paraolon village in West Tengnoupal area of Chandel District of Manipur on June 5, in which eighteen jawans were killed and several injured. By denying sanctuaries to the insurgents, Bangladesh will help India in its battle against insurgency. (IPA Service)