Dhaka: Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan clarified on Tuesday that no specific decision has been made regarding the sourcing or procurement of defence equipment, emphasizing that the government has only allocated land for potential local production. ‘You know Bangladesh already has a defence system. We have the Navy, the Air Force and the Army, and we regularly procure defence equipment. There is no difference in that regard,’ he stated.
According to United News of Bangladesh, the adviser addressed reporters following a meeting of the Economic Affairs Committee, explaining that the recent action by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) was confined to land allocation and should not be misconstrued as a commitment to procure defence equipment from any particular nation. ‘The only difference here is that land has been allocated so that production can take place locally,’ Fouzul Kabir explained.
His remarks came amid questions surrounding recent discussions on establishing a defence industrial zone and reports hinting at possible procurement of fighter aircraft from Pakistan or other countries. In response to such inquiries, Fouzul Kabir stated that no decision had been made on whether defence equipment would be produced with assistance from Pakistan, Trkiye, China, or any other country. ‘There has been no specific decision on where the equipment will come from or who will be involved,’ he emphasized.
Fouzul Kabir further elaborated that he had personally attended the BEZA meeting, confirming that the only action taken was the allocation of land for the production of defence equipment. He refrained from linking the land allocation to any future procurement or manufacturing plans, especially in light of the ongoing energy shortages and costly imports faced by the country over the past year and a half.
‘I will only speak about what I know. I do not want to comment on matters about which I do not have information,’ he stated, reiterating that the move does not signal any immediate plans for manufacturing fighter jets, drones, or other defence hardware, nor does it imply a change in procurement policy.
The adviser underscored that any future decisions regarding defence production, sourcing, or international collaboration would undergo the appropriate processes and be officially communicated once finalized.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) is set to establish the nation’s first Defence Industrial Zone in Mirsarai, Chattogram, to produce military equipment for domestic use and export. At a press conference held at the Foreign Service Academy on Monday, BEZA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun announced that the zone would be developed on approximately 850 acres of land in Mirsarai.