In March 1971, a significant disaster erupted in India’s neighborhood when the Pakistan Military launched Operation Searchlight to crush the Bengali nationalist motion in East Pakistan (right this moment’s Bangladesh).
By the summer time of 1971, there have been roughly 10 million refugees in India, creating a significant humanitarian disaster.
Nonetheless, India waited until December to launch its army operation to liberate East Pakistan.
India waited for a lot of causes, together with the necessity to keep away from the monsoon season, which might have made Indian army motion tough, and the necessity to mobilize and practice the Indian military earlier than a full-scale struggle.
Nevertheless, there was another excuse: the China issue.
Throughout winter, the Himalayan passes are closed, which might have made any Chinese language intervention extremely unlikely.
By subsequent 12 months, a brand new nation had emerged on the world map – Bangladesh, which was pleasant to India.
Bangladesh was nearly at all times pleasant with India, particularly below now deposed Sheik Hasina.
China and Pakistan are leaving no stone unturned to carry Dhaka again into their camp as ties with India decline.
As per the newest stories, the Pakistan-China-Bangladesh nexus might attain new heights as Dhaka negotiates to amass Chinese language J-10CE fighter jets, which Pakistan additionally operates.
Bangladesh’s J-10C Deal
Bangladesh has been exploring the acquisition of China’s J-10CE fighter jet to modernize its growing old Air Power since 2024.
In October 2025, Bangladesh revealed {that a} deal for 20 J-10CE fighter jets could cost US$1.2 billion for the airframes alone. The whole bundle, together with weapons, spares, and coaching, might value US$2.2 billion.
Paperwork quoted by the Bangladesh media indicated that the funds are prone to be unfold over 10 fiscal years, ending within the Monetary 12 months 2035-36.
The procurement shall be carried out as a part of Bangladesh’s plans to modernize its armed forces below the Forces Goals 2030.
Along with the Chinese language J-10CE, Dhaka was additionally contemplating the French Rafale and the European Eurofighter Hurricane.
French President Macron pitched the Rafale to Bangladesh throughout his historic 2023 go to. Nevertheless, the proposal has not progressed.
In December final 12 months, Bangladesh signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to provoke talks to buy the Eurofighter jet, indicating that Bangladesh would be a part of the lengthy record of nations that didn’t choose the J-10CE fighter jet after contemplating it.
International locations like Brazil, Egypt, Indonesia, Colombia, and Iran have all evaluated and negotiated offers with Beijing for the J-10C fighter jet; nevertheless, China has but to win a confirmed second export buyer for its fighter jet.
Up to now, Pakistan stays the one export buyer for the J-10CE fighter jet. Islamabad inducted the plane in 2022.
One main benefit of the J-10CE is its worth. The 4.5-generation fighter jet prices practically half the worth of the Rafale and the Eurofighter Hurricane.
One other issue might be Pakistani claims following its transient struggle with India in Could final 12 months. Islamabad claimed that it shot down a number of Indian fighter jets utilizing Chinese language long-range PL-15 missiles fired from Chinese language J-10CE fighter jets.
India denied these assertions and claimed to have destroyed 12-14 PAF jets within the conflict.
Notably, the Bangladeshi minister talked about these Pakistani claims whereas talking to the media in regards to the authorities’s choice to draft an settlement to buy the J-10CE fighter jet.
Rahman stated that Dhaka had taken observe of the Chinese language plane’s reported sturdy efficiency in the course of the battle in its neighborhood.
He didn’t say what number of fighter jets Dhaka plans to purchase or how a lot the deal might value. Nevertheless, media stories in Bangladesh recommend the deal might contain the acquisition of 20 or 24 J-10CE fighter jets.
The J-10C entered Bangladesh Air Power’s (BAF) wishlist after Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan visited China in 2024, the place he expressed the power’s plan to amass multirole fight plane and assault helicopters.
Discussions on the acquisition acquired traction throughout former Prime Adviser Dr. Muhammad Yunus’s go to to Beijing in March 2025. Following the journey, an 11-member inter-ministerial committee—chaired by the Air Power chief—was fashioned to barter the deal, finalize the contract, and consider the G2G procurement course of.
Notably, the BAF already has Chengdu J-7 fighter jets from China, reverse-engineered from the Soviet MiG-21, in its stock. The BAF presently operates growing old platforms such because the MiG-29 and J-7, which have gotten out of date in fashionable fight situations.
Bangladesh has a long-standing protection relationship with China, which has equipped a lot of its weapons techniques.
China-Bangladesh Protection Partnership
After Pakistan, Bangladesh is the second-largest importer of Chinese language weapons, in accordance with information printed by the Stockholm Worldwide Peace Analysis Institute (SIPRI) in 2024.
In 2019–23, Bangladesh acquired 11% of China’s main standard arms exports, behind Pakistan at 61%.
Chinese language armaments account for greater than two-thirds of the overall stock of Bangladesh’s Armed Forces. Important weapons techniques comparable to Ming-class submarines and MBT-2000 tanks are of Chinese language origin.
In 2019–23, China equipped 72% of Bangladesh’s main standard arms imports, adopted by Türkiye at 9.7%, and the UK (5.5%), in accordance with SIPRI.
Low value and no-strings-attached are the first motivations for buying Chinese language weapons.
Key Chinese language-origin gear in service contains MBT-2000 and VT-5 tanks, Kind 035G (Ming-class) submarines, Kind 056 corvettes and different naval vessels, and J-7 fighters, making it the nation’s largest supply of army {hardware}.
In 2002, the 2 international locations additionally signed a Protection Cooperation Settlement masking coaching, joint workout routines, gear provide, and protection manufacturing.
The rising protection cooperation between Dhaka and Beijing is a worrying signal for India, because it implies that China is rising as the principle arms provider to each India’s Western and Jap neighbors.
Bangladesh Eager to Be part of the MECCA Pact
Aside from deepening protection cooperation with China, Dhaka can be contemplating becoming a member of the MECCA pact, a mutual protection settlement amongst Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, sometimes called the Muslim NATO.
India shares an adversarial relationship with each Pakistan and Turkey.
If Bangladesh joins the MECCA pact, it might complicate India’s neighborhood, as it might give international locations like Pakistan and Turkey a possibility to extend their affect within the nation.
Dhaka has already bought the Baykar Bayraktar TB2, a medium-altitude long-endurance (MALE) unmanned aerial and fight car made in Turkey, and deployed it close to the Indian border.
Notably, India shares its longest land border with Bangladesh, which is 4,096 km. The nation can be vital for the safety of India’s northeastern area.
A Bangladesh outfitted with Chinese language J-10CE fighter jets and submarines, Turkish drones, and exploring a Pakistan-Saudi-Turkey mutual protection settlement would give Islamabad a ready-made japanese entrance to foment bother in opposition to India.
- Sumit Ahlawat has over a decade of expertise in information media. He has labored with Press Belief of India, Occasions Now, Zee Information, Financial Occasions, and Microsoft Information. He holds a Grasp’s Diploma in Worldwide Media and Fashionable Historical past from the College of Sheffield, UK.
- He could be reached at ahlawat.sumit85 (at) gmail.com
