Bangladesh's Concession to Pakistan Sparks Security Concerns in India

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The strengthening ties between Pakistan and Bangladesh have heightened India’s concerns, particularly regarding the Chittagong port. Bangladesh has recently abolished the requirement for physical inspections of Pakistani cargo ships arriving at the port. This means goods from Pakistan will no longer undergo physical checks. Such a change raises fears that Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, could exploit this leniency to smuggle weapons and drugs. There is concern that these items, once unloaded in Chittagong, could be transported to northeastern Indian states bordering Bangladesh—a scenario not without precedent.

Under Sheikh Hasina's government, strict physical checks were conducted on ships arriving from Pakistan. Additionally, India has had direct access to the Chittagong and Mongla ports. However, Bangladesh is now reportedly considering revoking this access. A similar incident occurred in 2004 when 1,500 boxes containing Chinese weapons were discovered at the Chittagong port. At the time, investigative agencies believed that ISI had stored the boxes for eventual transport to Northeast India. ISI has previously collaborated with extremist groups like ULFA to conspire against India, but such activities were significantly curtailed under Sheikh Hasina's administration. The current developments, however, could make these activities easier to execute.