India’s Strategic Posturing: Why Bangladesh Must Ramp Up Defence Spending and Readiness

Reading Time: 5 minutes BDMilitary Analysis Report India’s recent offensive action in Pakistan-administered Kashmir reflects an aggressive, hegemonic trend in South Asia. For smaller nations like Bangladesh, the pattern poses escalating strategic risks. This analysis outlines a comprehensive defence doctrine recommending an increase in defence spending to 2% of GDP, mass mobilisation through a National Reserve Force (NRF), and a focused modernisation roadmap. These steps are essential to building a robust deterrence against future Indian coercion or encroachment. India’s Regional Hegemony: A Pattern India’s dominance in South Asia has been exercised through both hard power and political leverage. Historical precedents include: 1971: Military intervention in East Pakistan. 1987: Deployment of Indian Peace Keeping Force (IPKF) in Sri Lanka. 2015: Unofficial blockade of Nepal over constitutional disputes. 2020s: Increasing rhetoric against Bangladesh via NRC-CAA legislation (Roy, 2020). India has become the third largest military spender globally at $81.4 billion in 2023