Chinese influence has entangled South Asian countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Bhutan in exploitative and detrimental ways reportedly. China is building up military bases on Afghan soil too, international sources have stated.
Under these circumstances, foreign policy analysts have put greater stress on enhancement of confidence and friendly affiliations between India and Bangladesh to prevent the ominous spread of Chinese dominance across South Asia, sources associated with diplomatic angles have asserted. Irreparable economic damages are likely to hammer Bangladesh if the country falls in Chinese debt traps, a number of domestic and international sources have warned.
Sri Lanka's Hambantota port is now under Chinese control following Sri Lanka's failure to comply with the austere terms and conditions of Chinese loans, different news agencies have meanwhile unveiled this report. China holds extensive influence on Pakistan and Myanmar too, according to reports by reliable platforms. Pakistan's relationship with the United States has recently faced a downturn, as a result of which Islamabad has now become totally dependent on Beijing and Middle East for sustenance, diplomatic sources have disclosed.
Security analysts have further said that India and Russia, two longstanding allies of Bangladesh, should have been more proactive in Bangladesh's favor in terms of the Rohingya predicament. China has been since the very beginning supporting Myanmar regarding the Rohingya issue which has made this scenario much more complicated for Bangladesh reportedly.
It may be added that China opposed Bangladesh's independence during the Liberation War of 1971 while India's benevolent support profoundly helped Bangladesh to become independent at that time. So, the mutually fraternal bonds between Bangla-desh and India stand on tested and proven grounds, political analysts have frequently said.
History says that China was one of the countries which did not recognize Bangladesh while Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman was alive. Following the political uncertainty caused by Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman's death, Ziaur Rahman got hold of the ruling power of Bangladesh and Ziaur Rahman launched his political front Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) imitating the dictums and manifesto similar to the ideology of Chinese leader Mao Tse Tung. According to media coverage and political interpretations from trustworthy sources, China provided a broad scale of patronage for the rise of BNP in Bangladesh's politics.
Several educationists and esteemed intellectuals have urged Bangladesh government to accord larger budgetary allocations for the betterment of education, health, housing and employment sectors. The sums of money Bangladesh government spends for military services are much higher than feasible figures which often overshadows the importance of other vital organs of the state, according to views expressed by eminent citizens.
Reportedly Chinese authorities have so far made enormous investments in the infrastructural, energy, power and defense sectors of Bangladesh. But there is virtually no Chinese project in Bangladesh for health and educational programs.
Chinese involvement with the infrastructural projects in Bangladesh has made these works far more expensive than reasonable costs and such higher expenditure facilitates corruption, economists have said. Administrative sources have stated that a pro-Chinese group of top bureaucrats inside Bangladesh government are working constantly on behalf of Chinese organizations to enable China to establish absolute control on Bangladesh's infrastructural megaprojects.
On the other hand, several newspapers and magazines have meanwhile exposed severe graft allegations about private and state-run Chinese firms whose monstrous roles have direly affected countries like Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Kenya, Nigeria and some more nations. In the wake of such alarming circumference, renowned civil society members and economists have suggested Bangladesh government to take up a cautionary stance regarding Chinese loans and Chinese firms before it is too late.
Reportedly Finance Minister AMA Muhith has a compromising approach to Chinese companies and he spoke very high of China's one belt, one road (OBOR) policy. An attempted bribery by China Harbor Engineering Company to a higher official of Roads and Highways Division was unearthed a few months ago. This is an evidence that Chinese firms are trying to grip Bangladesh's economy by unfair means, sources close to administrative channels have informed.
Chinese stock exchanges have meanwhile got hold of Bangladesh's share markets by becoming strategic partners which is a sign of China's target to engulf Bangladesh's entire economy, experienced and learned think-tank have stated.
Bangladesh's market has been flooded by Chinese goods while such Chinese monopoly is an obstruction for Bangladesh to preserve bilateral attachments with other development partners like India, United Kingdom, Japan, European Union and United States of America, local and foreign sources have presented such notions.
Bangladesh Bank's former governor Dr. Salehuddin Ahmed said to The Asian Age, "The authorities concerned should exercise serious thoughts on alternative funds in case the aspects of Chinese loans for infrastructural projects appear to be irrational."
Bangladesh Bank's former deputy governor Dr. Khondaker Ibrahim Khaled told The Asian Age, "The government should examine the pros and cons of Chinese loans very carefully to save Bangladesh's economy from undesirable consequences."
On the other hand, former adviser to caretaker government Dr. Hossain Zillur Rahman said to The Asian Age, "India and Russia monumentally cooperated with Bangladesh during the Liberation War of 1971. Therefore, the government should work for expanding relationship with these two countries in terms of development programs."
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