Big Win Over China, India Secures Operational Rights Of Mongla Port’s Terminal In Bangladesh

New Delhi: India on Tuesday secured another major strategic victory over China by securing operational rights of Mongla port’s terminal of Bangladesh in the Indian Ocean. Amidst China’s policy to expand its influence, the latest development will give a major boost to India's maritime race to gain quasi-control of foreign ports. After Iran’s Chabahar and Myanmar’s Sittwe, rights of operations at Mongla port of Bangladesh is India’s third successful bid to run overseas ports in the last years.

Though reports of obtaining the rights have surfaced, the details of the deal are not out yet. An official statement is being awaited over the deal. However, reports suggested that the terminal at the Mongla port will be managed by Indian Port Global Limited (IPGL).

India Hopes To Boost Its Influence Over Key Maritime Locations In Indian Ocean

At present none of the Indian ports feature in the world’s top 10 ports based on container traffic, while China has six ports on the world’s top 10 list. China is also actively involved in at least 17 Indian Ocean ports. Of the 17 ports, China is further directly involved in the construction of 13 ports.

China has been expanding its influence in the Indian Ocean region, as the region is key to fulfilling the objectives of China’s Maritime Silk Road initiative. From Gwadar in Pakistan to Djibouti in East Africa, China has made substantial investments in ports, a sector where India still remains a lightweight.

An expert stated that, for India, development regarding Chabahar and Sittwe ports has remained unimpressive over the years due to geopolitical and security factors. He asserted that for India, the progress of Indian companies in Iran and Myanmar has remained uneven due to various geopolitical factors and this is why Mongla of Bangladesh has brought a new ray of hope, which is likely to allow for the speedy execution of the agreement.

With the new deal at Mongla port, India hopes to boost its influence over key maritime locations on the western and eastern sides of the Indian Ocean and reinforce its role in regional security.