US Troops In Chittagong: Strategic Moves Under Yunus Raise India’s Security Fears

American boots on Bangladeshi soil are sparking fresh concerns across South Asia. A US C-130 Hercules landed in Chittagong with over 100 troops and ammunition, as Washington conducts joint drills with Bangladesh’s Air Force under Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus’ interim government. The exercises come with high stakes: Chittagong borders India’s northeast and Myanmar, while nearby St. Martin’s Island sits close to the vital Malacca Strait. Former PM Sheikh Hasina has alleged that her ouster was engineered by the US after she refused to cede St. Martin’s for a base. As India sends its own troops to Myanmar for balancing, the question grows louder: are these routine drills or the makings of a new Indo-Pacific flashpoint?