Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Monday inaugurated the country’s first-ever submarine base at BNS Sheikh Hasina, in Cox’s Bazar on the seaboard of the Bay of Bengal.
Hasina attended the inauguration of the base through video conferencing from Dhaka, the capital city.
The submarine base has been built with the help of Chinese state-backed company Poly Technologies. Estimated to have cost $1.21 billion, the submarine base can reportedly accommodate six submarines and eight warships.
Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Yao Wen was present during the inauguration ceremony.
Bangladesh procured two submarines from China in 2016, necessitating the need for a base.
Bangladesh’s growing defence proximity to Beijing has raised some concerns in India, which has traditionally been Dhaka’s biggest security and economic partner.
The two countries vowed to intensify defence cooperation during the meeting between Hasina and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing in 2019.
During the visit of Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe to Dhaka in 2021, both sides said they would coordinate their positions to safeguard regional peace and stability.
Amid New Delhi’s concerns, Bangladesh’s ruling Awami League has assured that the new submarine base would be used only by Bangladeshi vessels and Dhaka won’t allow any visits by Chinese naval vessels.