Foreign Affairs Adviser Md Touhid Hossain on Wednesday said the government would not take any decision that could undermine Bangladesh’s relations with any country, amid reports that Dhaka is planning to sign a government-to-government agreement with China to set up a military drone manufacturing facility.
“We will certainly not do anything that will deteriorate our relations with any party. We will act while maintaining a balance,” he told reporters when asked about the potential impact of such an agreement on Bangladesh’s relations with the United States.
The adviser said Bangladesh needs to enhance the operational capacity of its armed forces, particularly the Air Force.
“Our aircraft are very old, and many are no longer serviceable. We will have to make minimum necessary purchases,” he said, adding that discussions are ongoing regarding the sources of procurement and the scale of acquisitions.
Media reports earlier said the Ministry of Finance approved a project proposal on January 6 titled “Establishment of Manufacturing Plant and Transfer of Technology (ToT) for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)”, paving the way for a possible agreement with China.
Responding to questions about alliance politics, Touhid Hossain said Bangladesh has not joined any alliance over the past one and a half years.
“Discussions on various groupings will continue. If we find that joining any group serves our interests and helps safeguard them, we will do so. Otherwise, there is no question of joining,” he added.
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