New Delhi: Bangladesh is on a procurement spree to modernise its ageing air force, and is now looking no further than Pakistan. After signing a Letter of Intent (LoI) with a European consortium towards acquiring 14 Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role fighter jets and considering a proposal to procure 20 Chinese Chengdu J-10CE multi-role fighter jets by 2027, Dhaka has now expressed ‘potential interest’ in procuring JF-17s from Islamabad.
A high level delegation led by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmud Khan, chief of Bangladesh’s air force, visited Islamabad Tuesday and met counterparts to discuss collaboration and cooperation. The Bangladesh air force chief was also accorded a Guard of Honour.
Pakistan’s military press wing ISPR in a statement said Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu and his Bangladeshi counterpart held talks on the procurement of the JF-17, a multi-role combat aircraft jointly developed by Pakistan and China. The discussions also covered training, maintenance support and broader cooperation between the two air forces.
“Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu…reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to supporting Bangladesh Air Force through a comprehensive training framework from basic to advanced flying and specialized courses across PAF institutions. He also assured fast-tracked delivery of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft [used for basic pilot training], along with a complete training and long-term support ecosystem,” the ISPR statement read.
It added that the delegation from Dhaka expressed interest in Pakistan’s operational experience and sought assistance in maintaining Bangladesh’s ageing fleet and integrating air defence radar systems to improve surveillance.
During the visit, the delegation also toured key Pakistan Air Force (PAF) facilities, including the National ISR and Integrated Air Operations Centre, the PAF Cyber Command, and the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park, where members were briefed on capabilities spanning cyber operations, space, electronic warfare and unmanned systems.
Defence diversification is formally embedded in Forces Goal 2030, Dhaka’s long-term military modernisation blueprint. It was first adopted in 2009 and revived in 2017. The Bangladesh Air Force has long sought a new fighter aircraft under the plan.
Following the cancellation of an earlier tender for 8-12 Russian-made multi-role combat aircraft, Dhaka made plans to procure 16 Western-origin multi-role fighters.
For Pakistan, the outreach also fits into a broader effort to expand weapons exports as a means of economic revival. The JF-17 is key to its defence manufacturing.
Pakistan is currently in the process of supplying 40 JF-17s to Azerbaijan as part of a $4.6 billion defence agreement. In December last year, it also reportedly struck an over $4 billion defence deal with the Saddam Khalifa Haftar-led Libyan National Army (LNA) to supply 16 JF-17 jets and 12 Super Mushshak trainer aircraft.
Soon after the meeting Tuesday, Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said the volume of defence orders could one day ease Pakistan’s dependence on international bailouts, including from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
“Right now, the number of orders we are receiving after reaching this point is significant because our aircraft have been tested. We are receiving those orders, and it is possible that after six months we may not even need the IMF,” he told Pakistan’s Geo News.
Pakistan-Bangladesh ties
Ahead of this meet, Islamabad and Dhaka resumed direct flights after a decade as the national airlines Biman Bangladesh Airlines announced non-stop air connectivity between both countries starting 29 January.
The national carrier will initially operate two weekly flights following clearance from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority to use approved air corridors. Currently, most passengers travel between the two countries via transit hubs such as Dubai or Doha. The resumption of direct flights comes amid a thaw in diplomatic ties between Bangladesh and Pakistan.
Relations between the two countries have improved markedly since August 2024 under the interim administration led by Muhammad Yunus, which took charge after mass protests forced the ouster of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina from office in August 2024.
Besides direct flights, Pakistan and Bangladesh also resumed direct trade for the first time in decades. This coincided with a series of meetings between senior military officials from both sides.
Bangladesh is also set to hold its next general election on 12 February. The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), a frontrunner in the polls, is viewed historically as being more favourable of Pakistan than Hasina’s Awami League.
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar earlier claimed that 2025 was a turning point in Pakistan-Bangladesh ties, describing it as a “major ice-breaking breakthrough” after years of diplomatic chill between the two countries, or as he put it, two “brothers”.
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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