The spiralling political instability in Bangladesh is indeed acting as a startegic advantage to nourish the hegemonic ambitions of US and China, especially in an era when the Indo-Pacific is emerging as a pivotal geopolitical theatre and the gravity of the powerplay is tilting towards the region. Both Beijing and Washington DC are aiming to consolidate their strong imprint in Bangladesh, thus aspiring to command and control the entire region of Indo-Pacific and beyond.
The article titled “Power plays and polls: US and China involvement in Bangladesh’s unrest and electoral landscape”, authored by Ajit Amar Singh speaks in this essence. The author exclaims that in order to fulfill the hegemonic ambitions, US and China are in fact seeking to manipulate or navigate the Bangladesh elections scheduled for 2026, so that a favourable regime rises to the helm in Dhaka. Interestingly, both the US and China are vouching for the Bangladesh Nationalist Party(BNP), says the author.
“Since early 2024, China has actively engaged with all major political parties, including the BNP, Jamaat-e-Islami and the National Citizens Party, through high-level diplomatic meetings such as those led by Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong. China’s outreach aims to position itself as a key political actor willing to work with Bangladesh’s future government, reflecting a strategic effort to maintain influence amid regional power competition”, explains author Ajit Amar Singh in his article.
Simultaneously, the United States is also working to exert its influence across the Bay of Bengal and Indo-Pacific through controlling Bangladesh. The tools anchored by the US in this direction are advocating free and fair elections, promoting transparent governance and democratic process. However, the underlying agenda is to thwart the Chinese sphere of influence from the region and exercise the US stronghold. The ultimate truth is the domestic political instability of Bangladesh marked by repeated violence, protests, political backlash is channelized by the super power aspirants to navigate their respective vessels of strategic interests.
Author Ajit Amar Singh also explains the strategic importance of the Bay of Bengal that makes Bangladesh a pivotal pawn in the geopolitical calculus of Washington and Beijing. Bangladesh is at the crossroads of key maritime routes. The US deems Bangladesh as a major ally in its Indo-Pacific strategy to dismantle Chinese power and exert its sphere of influence. In this backdrop, both the nations have assured considerable investments in Bangladesh to configure and fortify their respective influence in the region.
For example, the author states, “China has invested over $20 billion in infrastructure projects such as the Padma Bridge and Payra deep-sea port, as part of its Belt and Road Initiative, connecting Bangladesh to China’s economic ambitions in the region”. “The US has injected over USD 300 million in development aid and aims to counterbalance China’s influence through trade relations and political engagement”, the author further adds.
Apart from trade and infrastructure, China and the US also have a remarkable extent of military and defence interests with Bangladesh. From 2019-2023, over 70 per cent of the arms and military weapons for Bangladesh came from China. Washington has expressed interest in Dhaka’s St. Martin Island aims to carve a military base in the island, thus exerting its high-stake influence in the Indo-Pacific, countering the Chinese footprint and controlling critical maritime routes surrounding the Indo-Pacific.
Manipulating internal political dynamics for imperialist motives
The author writes, “beneath the surface lies a ruthless agenda: to subjugate Bangladesh as a strategic outpost for its imperial ambitions”. This fact applies to both Beijing and Washington. To fulfill this ambition, the US and China are meddling in the internal politics of Bangladesh and its upcoming elections. “Intelligence sources suggest the U.S. is backing political figures like Md. Younis and favouring the BNP to strengthen its foothold in Bangladesh’s political landscape. By supporting BNP against the ruling Awami League, including funding democratic institutions and election observers, the U.S. seeks to manipulate internal power dynamics to its advantage”, explains the author.
The author further links the recent violence protests of Bangladesh to the foreign influence seeking to fuel their geopolitical ambitions. “In the shadows, China and the USA have stoked tensions, funnelling resources and strategic support to the BNP to ignite and sustain chaos. Their goal is clear: to disrupt the normal political process and subvert the upcoming elections, ensuring BNP’s return to power regardless of the people’s true will”, the author quotes while reiterating the current state of political dynamics of Bangladesh.
“Coordinated propaganda, suspicious funding trails, and behind-the-scenes coordination between BNP operatives and agents aligned with China and the USA have passed beyond rumour into near certainty. This orchestrated breakdown of law and order is a sinister strategy to weaken government authority, intimidate voters and delegitimize a government that refuses to bow to foreign interests”, the author further illustrates the latest political landscape of Bangladesh.
China in the form of infrastructure, trade, diplomacy and military assistance and the US in the form of democracy, development, humanitarian assistance and ensuring free and fair elections, keep intertwining in the internal affairs of Bangladesh. Carefully crafted narratives, crores of funds through dark channels keep creating tremors and fissures to rupture Bangladesh’s stability thus to champion geopolitical goals.
The ultimatum of these corrupt acts of the US and China is, the author writes, “Bangladesh’s sovereignty is under assault; its democratic process is being hijacked to serve foreign powers and a local political faction’s selfish ambitions. This approach risks deepening political instability and external influence in Bangladesh, raising concerns about sovereignty and the nation’s democratic processes amid heightened geopolitical competition”. Thus, the author has one solid message to the citizens of Bangladesh who are the ultimate and sole protectors and defenders of their countries sovereignty and strategic autonomy. “The people of Bangladesh must reject this dangerous foreign-backed conspiracy, stand firm against attempts to hijack the country’s destiny, and reclaim peace and democratic integrity from the forces of meddling and betrayal”.
