Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, left, talks to her Indian counterpart Narendra Modi during a press statement after their delegation level meeting in New Delhi, India on Saturday, June 22, 2024.NEW DELHI—India and Bangladesh on Saturday moved to bolster their defense relationship and signed agreements for expanding cooperation in maritime security, ocean economy, space, and telecommunication sectors, as New Delhi tries to present itself as a regional power and a counterweight to China.
Bangladesh also enjoys good ties with China, its major trade partner mostly for raw materials. But maintaining a close relationship with Beijing is challenging for Bangladesh, which also balances diplomatic and trade relationships with India and the United States, China’s main rivals. She also met Indian industry leaders and invited them to invest in Bangladesh, which plans to develop bigger ports, waterways, rail, and road connectivity. India loaned Bangladesh $8 billion in the last eight years, to help expand that infrastructure.