Bangladesh stands at an important strategic crossroads. Over the past five decades, the country has steadily modernized its armed forces through the acquisition of fighter aircraft, helicopters, naval vessels, submarines, armored vehicles, radar systems, air-defense assets, and other advanced military equipment from trusted international partners. This modernization guided in large part by Forces Goal 2030 has significantly enhanced the operational capabilities of the Bangladesh Army, Navy, and Air Force.
Yet this progress also reveals a fundamental strategic challenge. Bangladesh remains heavily dependent on foreign suppliers for many critical defense technologies, spare parts, maintenance support, upgrades, and specialized industrial expertise. In an era of geopolitical uncertainty, supply-chain disruptions, technological competition, and shifting global alliances, national security is no longer determined solely by the strength of armed forces. It is increasingly defined by a nation’s capacity to design, manufacture, maintain, and continuously innovate.
The question before Bangladesh is therefore not whether it should continue buying military equipment. The more important question is whether every defense procurement today contributes to building the domestic capabilities needed tomorrow.
From Procurement to Production
Bangladesh’s defense budget has expanded steadily over the past decade, increasing from roughly US$1.6 billion in the early 2010s to around US$3–4 billion in recent fiscal years. This reflects the government’s commitment to safeguarding national sovereignty and modernizing the armed forces.
However, defense spending should not be viewed merely as expenditure. Properly managed, it can become a long-term investment in national industrial development.
Every imported fighter aircraft, naval vessel, radar system, armored vehicle, or missile platform carries costs that extend far beyond its initial purchase price. These systems require decades of investment in maintenance, spare parts, software support, logistics, training, modernization, and technical assistance. Much of this economic value continues to leave the country, creating jobs, technological expertise, and industrial growth elsewhere rather than within Bangladesh.
This is precisely where Bangladesh’s strategic thinking must evolve. Imports will remain necessary for many years, but every major procurement should also become an opportunity to transfer technology, train Bangladeshi engineers, localize manufacturing, and strengthen domestic industry.
The objective should not simply be acquiring better weapons, it should be acquiring the knowledge and industrial capacity to sustain them independently.
The Global Roadmap: Every Defense Power Began as a Buyer
History provides a remarkably consistent blueprint. South Korea, Türkiye, China, India, Brazil, and several European countries did not become major defense manufacturers overnight. None began by producing fifth-generation fighter aircraft or sophisticated missile systems.
They began as buyers.
They imported foreign equipment to meet immediate security requirements. They negotiated licensed production and technology partnerships. They assembled foreign-designed platforms domestically, developed skilled engineers and technicians, invested heavily in research and development (R&D), expanded local supply chains, and gradually moved toward indigenous production.
Today, South Korea exports tanks, artillery systems, aircraft, and warships around the world. Türkiye has become a globally recognized producer of drones, armored vehicles, naval platforms, and electronic warfare systems. China has evolved into one of the world’s largest defense manufacturers. India continues to expand indigenous production under its “Make in India” initiative.
Their journeys demonstrate an important lesson: defense-industrial independence is built through patience, consistent policy, institutional investment, and technological learning not overnight ambition.
Bangladesh should adapt, not simply imitate—this proven pathway.
Bangladesh Already Has the Foundations
Contrary to popular perception, Bangladesh is not starting from zero.The Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) has developed significant expertise in manufacturing engineering products, military support equipment, specialized machinery, and upgrading defense platforms. Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) has steadily expanded domestic production of small arms, ammunition, explosives, and military equipment. Khulna Shipyard Limited has successfully designed and constructed patrol vessels, landing craft, and other naval platforms for the Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard. Dockyard and Engineering Works Limited has strengthened national capabilities in ship repair, maintenance, modernization, and indigenous vessel construction.
These institutions prove an important point. Bangladesh already possesses the industrial DNA required to expand domestic defense production.
They should no longer be viewed merely as manufacturing facilities serving military needs. Together, they can become the nucleus of a broader national defense industrial ecosystem that integrates government, academia, research institutions, and private industry.
The Future Battlefield Is Digital
The defense industry of the twenty-first century extends far beyond tanks, ships, and fighter aircraft.
Artificial intelligence, robotics, cybersecurity, unmanned aerial systems (UAVs), autonomous platforms, advanced communications, quantum technologies, satellites, electronic warfare, sensors, big data, and secure software will increasingly determine military effectiveness.
Bangladesh possesses a unique advantage with one of the South Asia’s youngest populations, expanding engineering universities, a rapidly growing ICT sector, and an increasingly capable electronics industry, the country has the human capital necessary to compete in emerging defense technologies.
Instead of attempting immediate self-sufficiency in every military platform, Bangladesh should initially concentrate on sectors where it can realistically develop competitive advantages:
– Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) services.
– Precision machining and spare-parts manufacturing.
– Military-grade electronics and communication systems.
– Tactical UAVs and counter-UAV technologies.
– Naval support vessels and coastal security platforms.
– Protective equipment and military logistics.
– Defense software, simulation technologies, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity solutions.
These industries demand significantly lower investment than producing advanced combat aircraft while creating highly skilled employment, technological expertise, and valuable export opportunities.
Building an Ecosystem, Not Just Factories
Industrial transformation requires strategy, not isolated projects.
Bangladesh should adopt a National Defense Industrial Strategy 2045, integrated with its broader industrialization and technological development agenda. Every major defense procurement should, wherever feasible and appropriate, include technology transfer, licensed production, local assembly, workforce training, joint research, and industrial partnerships.
Universities should work closely with the Armed Forces, BMTF, BOF, Khulna Shipyard, Dockyard and Engineering Works, and private manufacturers to create research clusters focusing on robotics, aerospace, cybersecurity, autonomous systems, advanced materials, and artificial intelligence.
Dedicated defense innovation funds should support startups, researchers, and engineers developing dual-use technologies with both civilian and military applications. Small and medium-sized enterprises(SMEs) should also become part of national defense supply chains, producing specialized components, electronics, sensors, software, cables, composite materials, and precision engineering products.
Defense Manufacturing Is Economic Policy
A domestic defense industry is not merely about military preparedness. It is industrial policy.
Countries that invest in defense manufacturing often generate technological spillovers benefiting civilian industries. Aerospace engineering strengthens commercial aviation. Military electronics accelerate consumer electronics. Cybersecurity innovations protect financial institutions. Robotics improve manufacturing. Advanced materials benefit healthcare, transportation, renewable energy, and infrastructure.
Many technologies now taken for granted from GPS and satellite communications to advanced aviation and portions of the modern internet originated from defense-related research before transforming civilian life.
Bangladesh has already demonstrated its ability to develop globally competitive industries. Ready-made garments transformed the economy. Pharmaceuticals now supply international markets. Shipbuilding has emerged as a promising export sector. The ICT industry continues to grow rapidly.
There is no structural reason why Bangladesh cannot gradually establish a modern defense-industrial ecosystem as another pillar of national development.
Strength Through Self-Reliance
None of this suggests abandoning Bangladesh’s longstanding foreign policy of “Friendship to all, malice toward none.”
Developing indigenous defense industries should never be interpreted as militarization or strategic aggression. Rather, it is an investment in resilience, technological capability, economic diversification, national preparedness, and strategic autonomy. The strongest nations are not those that purchase the largest number of weapons.
They are the nations that cultivate engineers instead of dependency, develop industries instead of perpetual imports, generate intellectual property instead of perpetual licensing, and transform procurement into innovation.
Bangladesh has successfully built world-class industries before. It now possesses the institutions, the human capital, and the strategic opportunity to take the next step.
The journey from buyer to assembler, from assembler to manufacturer, and from manufacturer to innovator is neither quick nor easy. It demands patience, vision, and sustained political commitment. But history shows that every successful defense-industrial nation has walked this path.
The question is whether Bangladesh is prepared to begin its own. Because the strongest defense is not simply purchased abroad, it is designed, built, sustained, and continuously improved at home.
Author : Jaber Bin Obayed Ullah Chowdhury
Executive Director, Academy of Analytics and Research – AAR