Dhaka: Within weeks of Bangladesh Prime Minister Tarique Rahman’s visit to Beijing, Washington dispatched two senior officials to Dhaka with proposals on technology, investment and defence, even as New Delhi’s efforts to repair strained ties came under fresh pressure after a dispute over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s public appearance in India, underscoring an intensifying contest for influence in the Bay of Bengal.US Special Envoy for South and Central Asia Ambassador Sergio Gor visited Dhaka from July 30 to August 1, followed days later by Admiral Steve Koehler, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, whose discussions with the Bangladeshi leadership ranged from artificial intelligence and investment to a long-pending defence information-sharing agreement.The clearest illustration of the strategic competition came on August 1. During his meeting with Rahman, Gor urged Bangladesh to join the US-led Pax Silica initiative, a State Department-backed platform aimed at reducing dependence on Chinese technology ecosystems. Hours later, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that the country would join the China-led World Artificial Intelligence Cooperation Organization (WAICO) as an observer.The competing announcements highlighted the increasingly difficult balancing act facing Dhaka as Washington and Beijing seek to shape Bangladesh’s partnerships in critical technologies. While Pax Silica seeks to build a trusted ecosystem for artificial intelligence and digital infrastructure among US partners, WAICO represents Beijing’s effort to establish a parallel framework for global AI cooperation.India joined the US-led Pax Silica initiative during the India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 20, 2026. Bangladesh, however, had held back from committing to either initiative until last week.Bangladesh’s decision to join WAICO has raised concerns in Washington because of China’s expanding role in sensitive sectors such as communications systems, undersea cables, artificial intelligence, 5G and military technology, a senior foreign ministry official told The Wire on condition of anonymity.The official said Washington would prefer Bangladesh to work with the United States, Western countries or allied partners in those sectors rather than deepen cooperation with China.During his meeting with Rahman, Gor also discussed increasing US investment in Bangladesh through greater participation by American companies. Following the meeting, Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson Mahdi Amin told a press conference that around 45 senior executives from 25 leading US companies are expected to visit Bangladesh by the end of next week to explore investment opportunities.On industrial and infrastructure projectsThe US investment push comes after Bangladesh signed a series of investment agreements with China during Rahman’s visit to Beijing. Besides agreeing to cooperate on major projects, including the Teesta River project and the China-Myanmar Economic Corridor, Dhaka also sought to expand Chinese participation in the country’s industrial and infrastructure sectors.Rahman used the Beijing visit to aggressively pursue economic engagement with China, focusing on trade, investment, infrastructure and connectivity while signalling a preference for Chinese investment over projects previously backed by India.One of the most notable outcomes was Bangladesh’s decision to sign an agreement with a Chinese state-owned company to develop an economic zone at Mongla on land originally earmarked for an Indian economic zone, marking a significant shift in the country’s investment strategy.China’s Handa Group was also allocated land in the Keraniganj Economic Zone, where it plans to invest US$220 million. Bangladesh additionally signed and exchanged a developer agreement with China Road and Bridge Corporation for the Chinese Economic and Industrial Zone in Anwara, Chattogram.The choreography of diplomatic engagements during Gor’s visit also underscored the heightened strategic competition.Before meeting the prime minister on July 30, Gor held talks with Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman. Just a couple of hours earlier, Chinese Ambassador Yao Wen had met the foreign minister, a sequence that generated considerable political discussion in Dhaka over the growing rivalry between the two powers.In a social media post after the meeting, Yao said the two sides had held “an in-depth exchange of views on the China-Bangladesh relationship and other issues of mutual concern.”On defenceThe defence dimension of Washington’s engagement came into sharper focus during Admiral Koehler’s visit, when he discussed progress on the proposed General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) with Rahman as the two countries sought to deepen cooperation in military training, exercises, maritime security and other areas of mutual interest.GSOMIA is a bilateral agreement that provides a legal framework for the secure sharing and protection of classified military information while preventing its disclosure to third parties.The United States has long pursued such an agreement with Bangladesh. Negotiations made little headway during the government of former prime minister Sheikh Hasina and remained stalled under the interim administration. Discussions have resumed with the current government.Washington’s renewed push comes as the Rahman government is preparing to procure 20 Chinese-made J-10CE multirole fighter aircraft at an estimated cost of US$ 2.2 billion by 2027 to modernise the Bangladesh Air Force and strengthen the country’s air defence, according to media reports.The deal, which covers procurement, training, maintenance and associated expenses, is expected to be executed during FY26 and FY27 through either a direct purchase or a government-to-government arrangement.A senior foreign ministry official described GSOMIA as a broad framework covering military equipment, technology cooperation, training and coordination mechanisms, noting that the United States has similar arrangements with countries including South Korea and Japan.According to the official, Bangladesh would first have to sign the agreement before it could procure US-origin military platforms covered under the framework. The government has been proceeding cautiously because implementation would require establishing mechanisms for secure information sharing, coordination, dedicated offices, communication channels and operating procedures.The official argued that governments, particularly military institutions, do not automatically share sensitive information. Even different offices within the Bangladeshi government often function in silos, making the creation of trusted institutional mechanisms a gradual process.Bangladesh would, nevertheless, remain free to procure military equipment from other countries. The restriction, the official explained, would apply only to sensitive US-origin systems, which could not be serviced, modified or transferred through third parties that do not meet Washington’s security standards. For example, technology supplied by the United States could not subsequently be repaired by a Chinese military contractor.India’s struggle to rebuild tiesWhile Washington’s engagement has centred on technology, investment and defence cooperation in response to China’s growing influence, India has been pursuing a parallel diplomatic effort to rebuild political ties with the Rahman government after months of strained relations.New Delhi extended a formal invitation for a bilateral visit to Rahman soon after he assumed office in February. However, the Bangladeshi prime minister chose Beijing for his first overseas visit, underscoring the shifting dynamics in Dhaka’s external engagements.On February 17, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on X that he had handed Rahman a personal letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi conveying his wishes and inviting the Bangladeshi leader to visit India at the earliest opportunity.More recently, India’s invitation to Rahman to attend the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi, in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC, prompted speculation over whether it also constituted a bilateral visit.Bangladesh has yet to clarify whether Rahman will attend.Responding to questions this week, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal reiterated that a formal bilateral invitation had already been extended in February. “As far as the BRICS Summit is concerned, India has separately extended an invitation to the Bangladesh prime minister in his capacity as the current chair of BIMSTEC to attend the outreach session of the 18th BRICS Summit in New Delhi,” he said. “The invitation has been extended as per the standard practice being followed in BRICS for the outreach sessions. Other heads of regional groups have also been invited in a similar manner.”An Indian diplomat told The Wire that Dhaka was creating unnecessary confusion by speaking only about the BRICS invitation while remaining silent on the earlier bilateral invitation. In New Delhi’s view, the bilateral visit should take place before the BRICS Summit because it would provide an opportunity to reset ties.“They are only talking about BRICS. They are not talking about anything else. The Speaker had brought the invitation from the prime minister, but everybody has forgotten about it. Even your entire media everybody is only speaking about invitation.”The diplomat was also critical of the pace of official engagement with the current government, noting that Indian high commissioner Dinesh Trivedi met Foreign Minister Khalilur Rahman only two months after assuming office. A request for Rahman to receive the high commissioner had also been pending during that period.The same diplomat dismissed speculation that Gor’s meeting with Trivedi signalled closer US-India coordination, describing it as routine diplomatic practice.Gor also met Trivedi during his visit to Dhaka, fuelling speculation in political circles about possible US-India coordination. An Indian diplomat dismissed such suggestions, describing the meeting as routine and noting that visiting dignitaries frequently meet resident ambassadors, citing the recent visit of UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk as an example.The diplomat said there was considerable speculation surrounding India-Bangladesh ties because of what he described as the Bangladesh government’s confusing messaging. “I have no doubt that the government wants to move the process forward, and there may also be other pressures involved. Let us hope for the best. Let us not be negative. let us be positive and cut off the noise from both sides.”A senior minister in the Rahman government also expressed frustration to The Wire over the handling of Bangladesh’s diplomatic relationship with India.The effort to improve ties has, however, been overshadowed this week by a fresh diplomatic row over former prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s public appearance in New Delhi. Bangladesh expressed outrage after Hasina addressed a live interaction at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of South Asia, accusing India of allowing its territory to be used for attacks on the Bangladeshi state despite having been warned that the event could damage bilateral ties. On Thursday, senior Bangladesh Nationalist Party leader Ruhul Kabir Rizvi intensified the criticism, alleging that Hasina had been allowed to speak “as part of Indian policymakers’ plan“. Calling the former prime minister a fugitive convicted by Bangladeshi courts, he said India was permitting her to engage in political activities instead of returning her to Bangladesh, describing it as “an insult to our national sovereignty”.