Staff Correspondent

Following political shifts in Bangladesh, certain influential leaders of the Awami League allegedly involved in conspiracies to undermine India’s security at China's instigation have themselves sought refuge in India.

The report of the Indian daily The Hindustan Samachar (Bengali) indicate that a special syndicate within the former government had misled former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina to hand over sensitive Indian security-related information to China.

Following the collapse of the government on August 5, 2024, a large portion of that syndicate crossed the border into India.

While many initially stayed in India, they later moved with their families to countries like Canada, Britain, America, Dubai, Singapore, or Malaysia to lead luxurious lives. However, reports suggest that some of these leaders continue to make intermittent visits to Kolkata and Delhi through secret contacts and party meetings with associates remaining in India.

Investigations reveal that during the tenure of the previous Awami League government, the maintenance of weather radars and associated equipment under the Ministry of Defense near the Indian border was handed over to a Chinese state-owned agency. Curiously, while equipment at Indian border stations was repaired, the crucial Kuakata radar in Patuakhali—vital for tracking cyclones and storm surges in the Bay of Bengal—was left unrepaired by the Chinese agency.

A senior meteorological official, speaking on condition of anonymity, stated that under the guise of an ordinary weather radar, China set this up as a trap to conduct military surveillance on India.

Similarly, the previous Awami League government handed over the operation of the radar at Lalmonirhat Airport, located geographically close to India's Meghalaya border, to China.

The controversy did not stop there. In 2023, close to India's strategic 'Chicken's Neck' corridor along the Tetulia road in Panchagarh, construction of a 1,000-bed hospital named 'North Point Medical College' was initiated by China, entirely bypassing the local Member of Parliament. The Chinese agency even organized human chains involving locals in support of the project. Allegations suggest that under the guise of medical treatment, this was actually intended as a Chinese military research facility.

The hospital's inauguration was conducted by the then Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi in the presence of the then Chinese Ambassador.

Similarly, ignoring Indian objections, the Awami League government awarded the modernization and maintenance contract for Sylhet Airport—deemed highly sensitive for the security of Assam Airport and India's Northeast (Seven Sisters)—to a Chinese firm.
Reports allege that within Sheikh Hasina's administration, the then Prime-Minister's Principal Secretary Tofazzel Hossain Miah, late Military Secretary Major General Mia Mohammad Zainul Abedin, Special Assistant Biplab Barua, former State Minister for Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam, and State Minister for Power and Energy Nasrul Hamid Bipu directly instigated the former Prime Minister to finalize these controversial agreements with China.

Behind the scenes, the Prime Adviser for Private Industry and Investment, Salman F. Rahman, reportedly pulled the strings for this entire syndicate.

In a similar vein, former State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury used his influence to hand over the control of the Mongla Sea Port sensitive to India's security to China. Multiple sources within the ministry claim that he received massive financial benefits from China in return.

Following the downfall of the government, Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury also initially fled to India before moving on to London, where he currently resides comfortably with his family.

Besides , under the pretext of exploring resources in the Bay of Bengal, Dhaka University signed an agreement in 2022 with the First Institute of Oceanography under China's Ministry of Natural Resources.

A senior professor at Dhaka University, speaking anonymously, noted that Bangladesh lacks the infrastructure or vessels required to research deep-sea resources—technology possessed by superpowers like America, Russia, or China. According to him, research was merely an excuse; the actual objective was to establish Chinese dominance over the geographical control of the Bay of Bengal.
Notably, to solidify its position in the Bay of Bengal, Beijing sold two aging submarines to Bangladesh back in 2013. Subsequently, in 2017, a full-fledged submarine base was established in Pekua, Cox's Bazar, ostensibly for maintenance purposes, enabling Chinese military experts to set up a virtually permanent presence there.

Sources indicate that under the guise of "national interest," this government syndicate continually fed misleading information to the former Prime Minister, allegedly carrying out these activities to pocket financial benefits from China.

Observers note that even after the political shift, the landscape has not completely changed; a faction of the current BNP is reportedly attempting to follow the path of the previous Awami League government by aiding activities concerning India's security.