India Strengthens Tri-Service Presence Along Bengal Bay Amid Rising China-Bangladesh Interest

New Delhi: In response to increasing strategic activity by China and rising instability in Bangladesh, India is bolstering its military presence along the Siliguri Corridor and the upper Bengal Bay region. The move involves significant preparations by the Navy, Army, and Air Force to secure India’s eastern frontiers.

New Naval Base at Haldia
While the Eastern Naval Command is headquartered in Visakhapatnam, India is now establishing a new naval base at Haldia in West Bengal. The location, close to Bangladesh and Myanmar, will enhance India’s maritime security in the upper Bay of Bengal. Once operational, the base will allow the Indian Navy to maintain advanced warships ready for rapid deployment. The Coast Guard already maintains a presence in Haldia, but the new base will significantly strengthen India’s strategic footprint.

Army Expands Forward Bases in Assam, Bihar, and West Bengal
Following political instability in Bangladesh and increased Chinese influence in the region, India has accelerated the establishment of new Army camps in key states. These include the Lachit Borphukan Military Station in Dhubri, Assam; forward bases in Kishanganj, Bihar; and Chopra, West Bengal. The tri-service command is already maintaining heightened readiness to safeguard the Siliguri Corridor, also known as the “Chicken’s Neck” corridor, which is critical for connecting India’s northeast to the rest of the country.

Air Force Readiness in the East
The Indian Air Force’s Eastern Air Command, headquartered in Shillong, Meghalaya, oversees 12 states, including the entire northeast, Sikkim, West Bengal, Bihar-Jharkhand, and Odisha. Its operational responsibilities cover the 6,300-kilometer Line of Actual Control (LAC) with China, as well as borders with Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar, and Bangladesh. Nearby Hashimara Airbase is now equipped with Rafale jets, BrahMos missiles, and advanced air-defense systems, further enhancing India’s eastern security posture.

Strategic Implications
These steps come as Bangladesh’s new government faces pressure from extremist elements, while China continues covert maneuvers in the Bay of Bengal beyond the South China Sea. By expanding its tri-service infrastructure—land, sea, and air—India is sending a clear message: the region is under vigilant surveillance, and any hostile advances will be met with readiness across multiple domains.