Analyst said the uptick in US military activity signals a deeper involvement of external powers in the Bay of Bengal region, which sits close to India’s Northeast and Myanmar…reports Asian Lite News
Since Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus took charge in Dhaka, the United States military has stepped up its presence in Bangladesh’s strategic Chittagong region, carrying out a string of visits ranging from reconnaissance trips to joint military drills. The development is triggering growing unease in neighbouring India and Myanmar, with security analysts warning of possible regional implications, according to a report by The Economic Times.
The paper noted that a C-130J Super Hercules — a tactical transport aircraft typically stationed at the US Air Force’s Yokota base in Japan — recently landed at Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong. This follows a series of similar stopovers by American military aircraft in recent months.
Analysts cited in the report said the uptick in US military activity signals a deeper involvement of external powers in the Bay of Bengal region, which sits close to India’s Northeast and Myanmar. Both Washington and Beijing are reportedly vying for influence in Myanmar, with efforts to engage various ethnic rebel groups inside the country.
The Economic Times highlighted that US military engagement in Bangladesh has accelerated since Yunus assumed office. Earlier this year, Bangladeshi and American forces conducted two major joint exercises — codenamed Operation Pacific Angel-25 and Tiger Lightning-2025 — in the Chittagong zone. Sources told the outlet that yet another joint training mission is being planned, following the recent arrival of a fresh US military contingent in the area last week.
The heightened activity comes amid heightened sensitivities within Bangladesh’s own defence establishment. Last month, a US Special Forces (Airborne) officer was found dead in a luxury hotel in Dhaka, an incident that reportedly fuelled internal unease about Washington’s expanding military footprint beyond scheduled cooperation.
The newspaper also recalled lingering allegations over Washington’s alleged role in the political unrest that ousted longtime Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. Hasina had publicly accused the US of orchestrating efforts to remove her from power after she refused to cede St Martin’s Island — a small but strategically located territory in the Bay of Bengal — to American interests.
With Yunus now at the helm and US forces making increasingly frequent appearances in Chittagong, the region’s strategic balance appears to be shifting. Observers warn that the mounting American military presence could provoke fresh security recalibrations by both India and Myanmar, potentially reshaping the dynamics around the Bay of Bengal.
