More importantly, the timing and optics of the visit, just ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s proposed trip to the Maldives and amid rising foreign footprints in the Bay of Bengal, have sparked questions in: Is this merely a goodwill tour, or part of a broader power play unfolding in South Asia’s strategic backyard?
India’s eastern seaboard may be facing the quiet emergence of a new geopolitical dynamics, one that links China’s covert maritime missions, Turkey’s expanding defence ambitions, and Bangladesh’s evolving alignments along with the Pakistan Army chief’s “visits”.
And a recent French maritime intelligence survey has added a new layer of urgency.
As Pakistan continues to struggle with a deepening economic crisis and rising public debt, Army Chief General Asim Munir is preparing for a lavish visit to Sri Lanka from July 20 to 23, according to a News18 report citing sources. The trip, officially described as a diplomatic engagement, includes a special aircraft, ceremonial bike escorts, helicopter rides over heritage sites, high-end accommodations, and guided tours, luxuries that stand in stark contrast to the austerity measures imposed on Pakistan’s civilian officials amid the country’s financial turmoil.
The itinerary features a scenic helicopter flight from the Shangri-La Helipad to the Pinnawala Elephant Orphanage, flying past the UNESCO-listed Sigiriya Rock Fortress, and visits to the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic in Kandy and the Royal Botanic Gardens in Peradeniya. The day is expected to end with another helicopter ride offering aerial views of Adam’s Peak, a sacred site revered by multiple religions. Munir is also scheduled to meet Sri Lanka’s top defence and government leaders.The timing and optics of the trip are also geopolitically sensitive.
Signals at sea: China’s silent moves and Turkey’s growing imprint
While Munir’s chopper may be flying over lush Sri Lankan landscapes, India’s eastern seaboard is witnessing deeper churns, both above and below the surface.
According to an ET report, a satellite intelligence survey by French firm Unseenlabs has uncovered troubling activity: a Chinese research vessel operating for days in the Bay of Bengal had deliberately switched off its Automatic Identification System (AIS), a transparency tool meant to signal a ship’s location. The vessel, Unseenlabs said, was emitting radio frequencies consistent with seafloor mapping and acoustic surveillance, activities with clear military value.
“We suspect this prominent Chinese research vessel was likely operating with strategic intent,” the firm stated. The data adds to growing concern over China’s interest in mapping submarine corridors, vital knowledge in future undersea warfare.
At the same time, Turkey is quietly planting strategic roots in Bangladesh, a country traditionally within India’s sphere of influence. On Tuesday, the Bangladesh Army confirmed on Facebook that Turkish Defence Industries Secretary Haluk Gorgun met with its Army Chief in Dhaka to deepen defence cooperation. The two sides reportedly discussed technology transfer and co-development of military hardware.
In 2022, Bangladesh became the top buyer of Turkish defence equipment. This April, a Turkish space official met Bangladesh’s foreign affairs adviser to expand space sector ties. And according to News18 and Firstpost, Indian intelligence believes Turkish groups have links with Islamist-linked Jamaat-e-Islami offices in Bangladesh, blurring the line between diplomacy and covert militarisation.
The emerging axis: Bayraktar drones, submarine maps, and strategic drift
India is not just watching; it’s responding. In May, TOI reported that Pakistan deployed Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 and Byker YIHA kamikaze drones during Operation Sindoor. Indian defences intercepted all 300–400 drones mid-air, but the episode rang alarm bells in South Block. Meanwhile, ANI has reported that Bangladesh’s military has acquired Turkish Bayraktar drones and has been flying 20-hour surveillance sorties along the Indian border, prompting India to deploy additional radar systems.
Layered atop these developments are the increasingly assertive diplomatic statements from Dhaka. During a visit, Bangladesh’s interim Chief Adviser Muhammad Yunus described the region as “landlocked,” declaring Bangladesh the “only guardian of the ocean.” Many in New Delhi interpreted this as Dhaka positioning itself as China’s maritime gateway to India’s northeast.
What’s taking shape is not yet a formal alliance but rather a strategic convergence. China is likely trying to map the ocean floor. Turkiye is supplying drones and building defence ties in India’s vicinity. And Pakistan’s army chief is quietly asserting his presence in India’s maritime neighborhood, even as his own country teeters economically.
These threads might seem disconnected. Together, they reveal a region in flux, where old alignments are giving way to new calculations.