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Sources said Chinese-built port infrastructure could enable real-time tracking of shipping movements, cargo manifests and even dual-use military supplies moving through the region
Intel officials believe the growing Chinese presence at Mongla, coupled with Beijing’s involvement at Chittagong Port, goes beyond commercial investments. (AI-Generated Image)
China’s expanding economic, infrastructure and defence footprint in Bangladesh is raising fresh security concerns in India, with top intelligence sources warning that what was once viewed as a long-term strategic possibility has now become “an active reality” with significant military and geopolitical implications.
According to top intelligence sources, Beijing’s strategy of strategically encircling India is no longer theoretical. Instead, they say, China is steadily building a network of economic, logistical and defence partnerships across Bangladesh that could alter the security landscape in the Bay of Bengal and India’s eastern frontier.
A major point of concern is Bangladesh’s reported decision to allot a 110-acre economic zone at Mongla Port to a Chinese state-owned corporation. The site had originally been allocated to India under a 2015 bilateral agreement, according to intelligence sources.
Concerns Over Chinese-Controlled Port Infrastructure
Intelligence officials believe the growing Chinese presence at Mongla, coupled with Beijing’s involvement at Chittagong Port, goes beyond commercial investments.
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According to the sources, Chinese-built port infrastructure, including ZPMC cranes integrated with Beijing-backed LOGINK logistics platform, could enable real-time tracking of shipping movements, cargo manifests and even dual-use military supplies moving through the region.
The officials also allege that such infrastructure could provide China with enhanced maritime domain awareness, allowing it to monitor commercial and strategic shipping activity across the Bay of Bengal.
Surveillance Risks Near India’s Eastern Command
Another concern flagged by intelligence sources relates to the possibility of China establishing electronic surveillance capabilities in Bangladesh.
The sources say Beijing could deploy Electronic Support Measure (ESM) arrays capable of intercepting and analysing radio, microwave and radar emissions from the Indian Army’s 33 Corps headquartered at Sukna in West Bengal.
They further claim that Chinese-linked infrastructure at Mongla and Chittagong could eventually create what they describe as a “permanent radar and sonar trap”, potentially affecting the Indian Navy’s operational secrecy and freedom of manoeuvre in the Bay of Bengal.
According to the assessment, Indian naval vessels departing from Visakhapatnam or Kolkata could face increased surveillance throughout their transit in the region.
Teesta Project Raises Fresh Concerns
Intelligence sources have also highlighted Bangladesh’s decision to approve Chinese participation in the Testa River Management Project.
According to the assessment, the deployment of Chinese engineers, hydrologists and technical personnel close to the Siliguri Corridor, often referred to as India’s “Chicken’s Neck” because it connects the country’s north-eastern states with the mainland, could provide Beijing with an expanded physical and human intelligence presence near one of India’s most strategically sensitive locations.
Larger Regional Strategy
Officials believe these developments fit into China’s broader effort to link its maritime investments across the region through the proposed China-Myanmar-Bangladesh Economic Corridor.
According to intelligence sources, Beijing is seeking to integrate infrastructure at Gwadar in Pakistan, Kyaukpyu in Myanmar and Mongla in Bangladesh into a synchronised logistics network surrounding India.
The assessment also points to growing defence cooperation between Beijing and Dhaka, including discussions on the possible sale of China’s J-10CE fighter aircraft to Bangladesh—the same platform that China has supplied to Pakistan.
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Group Editor, Investigations & Security Affairs, Network18
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