Some disturbing news from Bangladesh

It seems that Bangladesh’s sovereign entity is now plunged into a greater trouble than one could wish for.

1. It is learned from an authoritative source that the US Marine Corps has undertaken a border management survey along the Bangladesh's land borders in collaboration with BDR, and further learned that they have already conducted such survey as many as three points including Banglabandha.

2. The US has reportedly made a proposal for surveyin Bangladesh's air fields. It is assumed that they may be allowed for the survey only in the southern region.

3. The US has requested terrain intelligence information about different infrastructural installations in Dhaka City and sought ground inspection permission as such. It is learnt the concerned ministries have acquiesced with the former's proposal. It seems an attempt for Intelligence Preparation for Battle (IPB) by the former.

4. In order to take part in the proposed Command Post Exercise, the US has reportedly proposed the Bangladesh Government to allow US Marine ships to come up to the inland waters at Narayanganj.

Questions have been raised if the CTG has already secretly signed the much-debated Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) with the US which is now using the treaty provisions for requesting this kind of sensitive information. The previous governments did not sign this treaty for fear of public backlash.

It is also learnt that the US forces in Iraq will be gradually pulled out very soon and some of those soldiers will be stationed in various friendly countries near to the region. Bangladesh is reportedly is chosen to house some 10,000 strong US forces, when such withdrawal takes place.

A likely place to allow camping of the US Soldiers is the Korean EPZ in Chittagong. The KEPZ has not gone into operation and acres of land are barren in the protected areas, where construction work is going for an airport runaway. It is learnt the former US Ambassador Buetenis who is now deputy head of the US Embassy in Iraq made several trips to Bangladesh recently, only to evaluate progress of works for this camp.

It is learnt Indian's recent pressure on Bangladesh for allowing transit facilities is based on these US moves. The military is also demanding quick reconstitution of the National Security Council, because of the US’s aggressive moves.

It is feared that Bangladesh may turn into a war theatre or a launching pad in regard to US's strategic plan to intervene into Myanmar in future. Interestingly, the UK and Australia have also approached the Bangladesh to conduct a joint military exercise.