A new and dangerous security flashpoint has emerged in South Asia as Turkish-origin Bayraktar-TB2 drones, already used by Pakistan in recent military operations against India, have now surfaced in Bangladesh. This development is causing serious alarm within Indian defence and intelligence circles, raising the spectre of coordinated drone-enabled surveillance and potential strike threats along India’s vulnerable eastern frontier.
Turkey’s UAV Footprint Expands: From Pakistan To Bangladesh
Indian security agencies first detected Turkish-made Bayraktar-TB2 drones near the India-Bangladesh border in December 2024. Multiple intelligence inputs now confirm that these drones, known for their long-range intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance (ISR), and strike capabilities, are being operated from bases in Bangladesh’s Sylhet region.
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These drones are capable of conducting surveillance sorties lasting over 20 hours, indicating high-altitude monitoring of critical Indian military infrastructure, especially the strategically sensitive Siliguri Corridor—India’s “Chicken’s Neck”—which connects the country’s northeast to the rest of India.
Recent shipments of these UAVs reportedly arrived in Bangladesh aboard vessels disguised as humanitarian missions linked to the controversial Chittagong–Rakhine Corridor. Initially presented as a relief route for Rohingya populations in Myanmar, this corridor has sparked political turbulence in Bangladesh and suspicion in Indian security circles, with concerns it may be serving as a conduit for foreign intelligence activity, particularly by Pakistan.
Civil-Military Rift In Dhaka And The ‘Trojan Horse’ Concern
Bangladesh’s drone deployment is unfolding against a backdrop of growing tensions between the country’s military and its interim civilian leadership. Bangladesh Army Chief General Waqar Uz Zaman has publicly criticised the Chittagong–Rakhine Corridor, warning it could become a security nightmare and a channel for foreign, especially Pakistani, intelligence operations. This rift underscores a deepening divide within Bangladesh’s power structure, with sources suggesting the drone transfer, backed by Turkey and possibly facilitated by Pakistan’s military intelligence, may be part of a broader trilateral alignment challenging Indian interests from the east.
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Intensified Drone Activity And Indian Response
Indian defence officials have confirmed intensified drone activity along the border states of Meghalaya, Assam, and West Bengal. The Bayraktar TB2s are reportedly conducting persistent surveillance, with some flights lasting over 20 hours, targeting critical Indian military infrastructure and probing India’s most sensitive logistical lifeline. The December 2024 drone sighting near Sohra and Shella in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hills was the first visible sign of this evolving threat, now understood to be part of a sustained intelligence operation.
In response, the Indian Army, Air Force, and Border Security Force (BSF) have increased aerial and electronic surveillance, deploying UAV jammers and advanced radar systems across key sectors. Indian military officials assert that India possesses the capability to track and neutralise these drones should they breach Indian airspace, leveraging comprehensive anti-drone defences and counter-UAV technology.
Bayraktar-TB2: A Game-Changer In Regional Drone Warfare
The Bayraktar-TB2, produced by Baykar Technologies, has proven its battlefield effectiveness in Ukraine, Syria, Libya, and Nagorno-Karabakh. Its deployment in South Asia marks a significant expansion of Türkiye’s military influence and a strategic shift in drone warfare, enabling regional players to project power without direct engagement. Bangladesh’s acquisition and deployment of these advanced drones represent a major step in its military modernisation, with the potential to challenge Indian dominance in the Bay of Bengal and along the land border.
For years, India’s primary drone threat was from the west, with Pakistan deploying similar Turkish drones along the Line of Control. The sudden appearance of Bayraktar TB2s in Bangladesh, supported by Türkiye and aligned with Pakistani operational doctrine, signals the emergence of a two-front UAV threat. Dhaka’s role as a drone launchpad may be less about its own defence and more about facilitating coordinated surveillance—and potentially future strike operations—by an informal axis involving Pakistan and Türkiye.
This evolving axis of instability is forcing a dramatic reassessment of India’s security calculus. Indian military planners are now urgently considering how to counter this new drone-powered alignment and whether their current eastern posture is sufficient to secure against increasingly high-tech, asymmetric threats.
Conclusion
The deployment of Bayraktar-TB2 drones by both Pakistan and Bangladesh, backed by Turkey, has transformed India’s security environment, creating a live two-front theatre of UAV-enabled surveillance and potential precision strikes. With drones capable of loitering undetected for hours and striking with accuracy, the battle for control of South Asia’s skies has entered a new and dangerous phase—one that demands rapid adaptation and robust countermeasures from Indian defence forces.
Agencies
