Amid the rapidly declining India-Bangladesh relations, Bangladesh is reportedly seeking to acquire Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBMs), more specifically the Abdali SRBM, from rom Pakistan.
India-Bangladesh relations: In another setback to the rapidly degrading India-Bangladesh relations, Bangladesh is reportedly seeking to acquire Short Range Ballistic Missiles (SRBM) from Pakistan to bolster its defense capabilities and deterrence against a possible Indian attack, an intelligence report has revealed.
According to a report quoted by defense website Indian Defence Research Wing (IDRW), Bangladesh has approached Pakistan to procure the Abdali SRBM, which has a range of 400 km, apparently to act as a deterrent against an attack by India.
The intelligence report stated that Pakistan is likely to agree to the request for two main reasons, first to expand its regional influence by supporting Dhaka, currently at odds with New Delhi, and second, because selling the Abdali SRBMs would not significantly change the strategic balance against Pakistan because these missiles have a short range and can only be realistically and potentially used against India, with whom Bangladesh shares a long border.
However, the IDRW report noted that in order to fulfill Dhaka’s request, Islamabad would have to carefully navigate global arms control regimes, such as the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), which could eventually influence the final decision, even though neither country is a part of the MTCR.
Major threat for India?
According to experts, the Abdali SRBM, also called the Hatf-II within the Pakistan army, could pose a significant threat to India’s northeastern states, because even though the tactical ballistic missile, which is designed for battlefield use, has a limited range, it can cover enough distance to reach major cities in Northeastern India.
The Abdali missile system, developed by the Pakistan’s Space Research Commission (SUPARCO), is designed for quick reaction battlefield scenarios and has provides a tactical edge to the Pakistan Army in such situations.
New arms race in South Asia
Defence experts believe that Abdal SRBMs would drastically change regional security dynamics and alter strategic balance in South Asia, if Bangladesh manages to procure them from Pakistan. Bangladesh deployment of these missiles could serve more as a psychological deterrent, notwithstanding the missile’s limited range, they say.
Some assert that Bangladesh’s acquisition of ballistic missiles could trigger an arms race, forcing India to further enhance its missile defence and deploying more offensive capabilities. Dhaka’s move is also being seen as a response to India expanding its military infrastructure near the Bangladesh border, and New Delhi’s ever-increasing military prowess, including its ballistic missile defense systems.
India-Bangladesh relations
India-Bangladesh relations are at an all-time low after the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, and an interim government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, coming to the helm in Dhaka.
Bangladesh has witnessed widespread communal violence against minorities, especially Hindus, which has soured Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi, with the latter accusing the Yunus-led interim government of not doing enough, and turning a blind eye to the atrocities perpetrated by radical Islamist elements against the minority Hindu community in the country.
