The visit of Bangladesh Islamist parties to China on invitation of Beijing has been reported in these columns earlier (https://www.thestrategicperspective.org/articles/chinas-northeast-focus/). American involvement in regime change in Bangladesh and supply of arms, ammunition and explosives to Bangladesh by both China and Pakistan was also reported in the same link.
Аs a loyal American pooch, Britian has always been party to the US warmongering and regime change games. Little wonder then that the London-based weekly The Economist has declared Bangladesh the Country of The Year for 2024 (https://www.dhakatribune.com/bangladesh/368636/bangladesh-named-the-economist-s-country-of-the)
Bangladesh is our country of the year, for toppling a despot and taking strides towards a more liberal government https://t.co/vB3UIp1Swd 👇
— The Economist (@TheEconomist) December 20, 2024
On December 19, a second container cargo ship departed Karachi for Chittagong. The attacks on minorities, especially Hindus, are continuing in Bangladesh. Inputs indicate that a group of Hanas radicals have also arrived in Ramnagar, Jessore District of Bangladesh (which may have been facilitated by China or Pakistan) and have joined the call for Jihad against India.
Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sherif posted on X details of his meeting with Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, and both reaffirmed their commitment to deepen bilateral and multilateral collaboration which would naturally include radicalization plus coordinating terrorist attacks against India.
Had a very warm and cordial exchange with my friend Prof. Dr. Muhammad Yunus, Chief Adviser of Bangladesh, on the sidelines of 11th D-8 summit in Cairo this morning.
— Shehbaz Sharif (@CMShehbaz) December 19, 2024
We discussed strengthening historical and cultural ties, increasing trade, and exploring cooperation in IT,… pic.twitter.com/6sO7G2zy9O
The ISI has deep roots in Bangladesh since long, Rajeev Bhattacharya writes in his book "ULFA – The Mirage of Dawn" that Pakistan’s ISI continued to have considerable influence in Bangladesh, despite the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government, through contacts with Bangladesh’s Directorate General of Forces Intelligence (DGFI) and intelligence agencies, who appear to have provided cover for elements of India’s northeast militants, which remained untouched in Bangladesh.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) of Bangladesh, which together with other radical Islamist organizations, assisted Pakistan army’s horrific genocide against minorities, especially Bengali Hindus (March 25 to December 16, 1971) in East Pakistan, is now spearheading radicalization of youth in schools and colleges, including small children like other Islamist terrorist groups like the Islamic State. Some of these youth may have already been used for attacking minorities and are perhaps being trained as suicide bombers.
In the madrassas of Bangladesh, displays of "jihad" are staged. Someone dressed as a militant sits with a raised finger, while their small militant force stands armed with toy guns, toy swords, and toy grenades. When they grow up, they will wield real guns, swords, and grenades… pic.twitter.com/YtBBp4Px0e
— taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) December 19, 2024
According to the West Bengal Police, two terrorists recently arrested were planning to target the Chicken's Neck area connecting West Bengal's Siliguri with the northeastern states. West Bengal police got a tip-off about a sleeper cell of the outfit, which became active in August 2024. These two were part of a group of eight terrorists belonging to the Ansar-al-Islam Bangladesh, arrested by Bengal, Kerala and Assam police. With regard to inputs about Taliban cadres transiting through India to train Islamists in Nepal, there is speculation this is a US move against China. But should we forget that the Taliban want a Sharia-ruled world, which means these Nepalese Muslims will be trained for jihad against India.
Bangladesh celebrates December 16 as ‘Bijoy Dibosh’, which signifies the Liberation Day of Bangladesh. Indian military personnel who participated in the 1971 War for Liberation of Bangladesh were invited to participate in these celebrations (see photo below) and were also feted by the President and Prime Minister of Bangladesh. But now that Islamists rule Bangladesh (courtesy the US), Bangladesh politicians/officials say India was just an ally in the war.

This year Bangladeshi military veterans took out processions raising anti-India slogans and calling for jihad against India, On December 16, Mahfuz Alam, serving as an ‘Adviser’ in Bangladesh’s interim government, issued a provocative map showing Bengal, Assam and Tripura as part of Bangladesh (https://www.india.com/news/world/bengal-assam-tripura-are-part-of-bangladesh-yunuss-islamist-minister-mahfuz-alam-makes-bizarre-claim-shows-a-map-and-then-deletes-it-7473517/)

Radical Islamists, many of them high on narcotics, naturally nurture fantasies. But then before becoming the prime minister of Bangladesh, a pro-India leader like Sheikh Mujibur Rehman had written in his book ‘Eastern Pakistan – its population and Economics’, “Because Eastern Pakistan must have sufficient land for expansion, Eastern Pakistan must include Assam to be financially and economically strong.” This would have been because of lack of resources coupled with the population explosion, perhaps this is what the US is cashing on to destabilize India and South Asia. For India, it boils down to the requirement of a foreign policy, which is significantly more focused to deal with its immediate neighbourhood comprehensively, and employing a diverse range of strategies and tactics, not just trade and slogans like ‘Akhand Bharat’ – read undivided India.
There are some indications that the Arakan Army, (AA), which has seized control of the 270-km Myanmar-Bangladesh border, is undertaking cross-border attacks in Bangladesh, where Rohingyas settlements exist and killing of minorities continues by Bangladesh’s state-supported Islamists along the border. The AA, assisted by former US Marines, is a formidable force posing a stiff challenge to Myanmar’s military junta. AA's strong presence along the Bangladesh border and the instability within Bangladesh, due to attacks against Hindus and Sheikh Hasina’s Awami League supporters, has created a volatile situation, which could invite external intervention according to foreign analysts. Would the US seize this opportunity to establish a base in an island of Bangladesh; a proposal that was spurned by Sheikh Hasina? The economy of Bangladesh is running low, but then which radical Islamist country bothers about poverty?
In Bhutan, China re-entered the Doklam Plateau within a month of the India-China standoff (June 16 2017 to August 29, 2017) and occupied northern Doklam, In November 2018, media reported a Chinese village ‘Pangda’ built inside the southwestern border of Bhutan. One year later, satellite imagery showed the Chinese village ‘Gyalaphug’ built 8-km inside Bhutan. Indian media quoted Shen Shiwei, a senior producer with Chinese CGTN News, posting images of the village established in Doklam area and later indicated the precise location of the settlement. The report also revealed that other areas of Western Bhutan have also been gradually encroached by China to secure access to the border with India. In 2020, China laid claim to the Sakteng Wildlife Sanctuary in Eastern Bhutan which borders Arunachal Pradesh (India).
Subsequent news reports indicated that China is constructing more villages in Bhutan and settling Han Chinese, whose number was going up speedily. According to US analysts, these are dual-use military villages which include elements of EW and air defence, But, now more disturbing news has emerged. A report dated October 15, 2024 in ‘Turquoise Roof’ has brought out that China has built no less than 22 villages in Bhutan (https://turquoiseroof.org/forceful-diplomacy-china-cross-border-villages-in-bhutan/).
The report says that China began constructing villages in Bhutan in 2016, but existence of the first village was discovered by foreign observers only five years later, by which time China had already built two other villages within Bhutan’s remote areas. Judging from satellite imagery, these 22 villages and settlements consist of about 752 residential blocks divided into an estimated 2,284 residential units, each suitable for one family-sized unit. China has relocated/is relocating about 7,000 Chinese in these settlements; unknown number of officials, construction workers, border police and PLA personnel.
For building these villages, China has annexed approximately 825 sq kms of Bhutan’s land - over 2% of Bhutanese territory. Also, at least two new sites within Bhutan have been cleared for construction and existing villages are being expanded. Chinese authorities have announced that three of the existing villages are going to be upgraded to towns. This report documents the location, size and purpose of these cross-border villages and settlements, replete with maps and videos. Of the 22 villages and settlements, 19 are villages and three small settlements; of which 7 villages and settlements have been constructed since early 2023. China’s strategic aim is to force Bhutan into its strategic sphere and get closer to the Bhutan-China border.
Ironically, the above has found no mention in Bhutanese or the Indian media, which is not surprising. In January 2021, satellite imagery showed a full-fledged Chinese village (over 110 dwellings - see image below) built in Arunachal Pradesh in about one year, construction ongoing even during the India-China standoff in eastern Ladakh. The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) burnt tan effigy of Chinese President Xi Jinping and issued a statement condemning China’s expansionist designs, criticising the Centre’s lethargic and non-committal approach and demanding that the Centre should initiate appropriate counter-measures to check Beijing’s moves. (https://www.southasiamonitor.org/spotlight/chinese-land-grab-bhutan-and-india-timid-responses-wont-work-beijing). At the same time the BJP MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao told Parliament both in 2019 and 2020 that China had intruded 60-km inside Arunachal Pradesh.

Satellite images of the above Chinese village sent to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), questioning whether the Chinese village is in Indian Territory, evoked the response, "We have seen recent reports on China undertaking construction work along the border areas with India…… Our government too has stepped up border infrastructure including the construction of roads, bridges etc, which has provided much needed connectivity to the local population along the border.'' By saying so, the government has neither admitted or denied whether the said Chinese village is in Indian Territory or not. However, according to official records, the site of this village had an Assam Rifles post till 1959 when it was run over by the Chinese. No construction was seen in the area in satellite images of August 26, 1999, till the Chinese village was discovered in 2021. So, China remains the winner.
All views are personal.