First Submarine Base Becomes Operational in Bangladesh
The new base will enhance the Bangladeshi Navy's ability to patrol its maritime territory but also raises questions about China's ability to use the base.
Bangladesh inaugurated its first submarine base in the town of Pekua, Cox’s Bazar District – located in southeastern Bangladesh – and became operational on March 20th. The new submarine base – called BNS Sheikh Hasina – is located near the Kutubdia channel, which provides it with easy access to shipping channels in the Bay of Bengal.
Bangladesh inaugurated its first submarine base in the town of Pekua, Cox’s Bazar District – located in southeastern Bangladesh – and became operational on March 20th. The new submarine base – called BNS Sheikh Hasina – is located near the Kutubdia channel, which provides it with easy access to shipping channels in the Bay of Bengal. The site has the facilities to adequately house up to six submarines and eight naval vessels at any one time.
The Bangladeshi government signed an agreement with China in September 2019 to build the new submarine base at a cost of $1.21 billion USD. Construction of the new site began in February 2021 and was completed in approximately one year. The new facility includes wharves, a repair dock, and berthing facilities that will house the Bangladeshi Navy’s (BN’s) two submarines—two ex-People’s Liberation Army Navy Ming-class submarines – BNS Nabajatra and BNS Joyjatra. The base will also include barracks, munition depots, and training centers to train personnel on the submarine’s systems and weapons.
Both the BNS Nabajatra and BNS Joyjatra were previously berthed at BNS Issa Khan – the largest BN base – located in the Chittagong port. However, BN officials found operating the submarines from the Karnaphuli River extremely difficult due to the need of suspending port operations when the submarines went underway. Furthermore, the naval facility at Chittagong port was not built to properly house submarines so the BN needed to build a site to house them.
Bangladeshi officials stated in 2019 that while the site will be open to all foreign vessels, they will not allow any Chinese submarines to enter or use the base.
Bangladeshi officials stated in 2019 that while the site will be open to all foreign vessels, they will not allow any Chinese submarines to enter or use the base. They further stated the facility will only be used by either the BNS Nabajatra/BNS Joyjatra once it becomes operational. The officials then stated they brought the submarines to enhance the capability of the BN to protect its territory and to protect from all security challenges.
Analysis: The new submarine base will significantly increase the Bangladeshi Navy’s ability to patrol the Bay of Bengal since it will enable the submarines to conduct patrols more rapidly than previously. Additionally, the submarines will now have the capability to go on missions without stopping port activities as what occurred when they were stationed at Chittagong port. This capability means the submarines can conduct missions without any key indicators that they are occurring. While Bangladeshi officials state PLAN submarines cannot use the site, the 2019 agreement may have included parts that guaranteed Chinese access since Bangladesh likely used Chinese loans to fund the construction. The site can house more submarines that what the Bangladeshi Navy currently has in operation and there are no public plans for them to purchase additional submarines from China.