Bangladesh, Oct. 12 -- The global struggle for strategic maritime access is entering a new phase. Instead of relying on military conquest or territorial occupation, major powers are increasingly using long-term leases, port concessions, infrastructure investments and security agreements to expand their influence. Presented as commercial partnerships or development initiatives, these arrangements can sometimes create conditions resembling colonial control without formally abolishing the sovereignty of the host country.

From the Horn of Africa to the Indian Ocean, the growing competition over ports, naval bases and shipping routes raises a fundamental question: Can a nation remain genuinely sovereign when foreign powers acquire extensive, ...