Gravitas: Could Bangladesh be the next to fall into China's trap?

[bluesky]

Not 10 billion dollar but 1.2 billion dollar or 10300 crore Taka. I don't know where they got this 10 billion figure. This is absolutely false. Indian journalists are not very careful quoting numbers.
Submarine base to be built with Tk 10,300cr
http://www.newagebd.net/article/73071/submarine-base-to-be-built-with-tk-10300cr

I have not checked but I trust you that the cost is $1.2 billion. I was wondering what is this? Two submarines cost us something like $203 million and the base costs $10 billion. $1.2 billion figure is reasonable thinking that BN will induct a few more submarines in the near future.

 

[DalalErMaNodi]

I have not checked but I trust you that the cost is $1.2 billion. I was wondering what is this? Two submarines cost us something like $203 million and the base costs $10 billion. $1.2 billion figure is reasonable thinking that BN will induct a few more submarines in the near future.

https://www.defseca.com/forum/index...y-submarine-base-training-and-infrastructure/

Credit - Defseca & Syed Amar Khan.

 

[nature is]

It was protectorate but not within Indian union. If you see the Indian map before 1975, it did not included Sikkim. Sikkim's foreign policy and security was under Indian hands, but in all other cases, it exercised self rule. It's status was same as Bhutan. Bhutan was also Indian protectorate. But gradually Bhutan shedded it's protectorate status and turn into full fledged UN member state in 1971. Now Bhutan host foreign embassies in it's soil and also has it's embassy in some other countries. In 2007, Bhutan and India revised their original friendship treaty so that Bhutan now no longer bound to seek 'Indian consultation' to formulate it's foreign policy. Now India can not enact the Sikkim saga over UN member state Bhutan without International backlash and non recognition. Sikkim also could have taken similar journey like Bhutan. But unfortunately it ended up into an entirely different fate. If China taken a more pro-active role in Sikkim, perhaps the events trajectory would have been different.

The protectorate state was "effectively" part of the India union, though formally not. As you also noted, India was in charge of foreign affairs and military. If you want to establish tie with Sikkim, you go to India directly. After 62 war, there was no diplomatic relation between China and India until 1980's. With Indian troops already on the ground, there was little China could do to prevent the 1975 annexation, except war.

Bhutan definitely earned more autonomy over the years, but it is still not independent. India forbid Bhutan to host Chinese embassy or any of the powerful UNSC P5, whom India can't arm twist. Indian approval is still required for Bhutan to resolve any outstanding border issue with China, which explains why it's still unresolved. Indian military continued to run Bhutan.

 

[Homo Sapiens]

I have not checked but I trust you that the cost is $1.2 billion. I was wondering what is this? Two submarines cost us something like $203 million and the base costs $10 billion. $1.2 billion figure is reasonable thinking that BN will induct a few more submarines in the near future.

This base is not for only two existing submarine, but for future Submarine fleet which is going to be much larger than current two. Off course, giving justification for it, our military authorities can not say that publicly which may trigger alarms in the neighborhood. So they gave justification of hosting the two existing Subs. But everyone knows, $1.2 billion dollar submarine base for $200 million submarine do not make any sense. In fact this submarine base project itself finalized in a great secrecy, only a handful of top military men and govt. officials were aware about it in formulating phases.