China recently signed a defence agreement with Bangladesh to build a drone factory in Bangladesh with Chinese assistance. The U.S. wants to supply Bangladesh with MQ-9 Reaper drones.
The U.S. has offered Bangladesh F/A-18 Super Hornet Block III fighter jets, AH-64E Apache helicopters, and NASAMS air defence missiles to the Bangladesh Air Guard. However, former dictator Hasina has declined U.S. offers to purchase military hardware from U.S. companies.
The US Ambassador told Reuters that Bangladesh can purchase the TPY-4 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) multi-mission, ground-based radar for air defence surveillance, which can operate in contested electromagnetic environments and enable the warfighter to detect and track current and emerging threats in the Bay of Bengal.
The U.S. delegates’ recent visits to Bangladesh also underscore Bangladesh-USA security cooperation and the U.S. willingness to supply the Bangladesh Army with HIMARS rocket artillery, Javelin ATGMs, and Black Hawk helicopters.
The Trump administration is willing to work with the next Bangladeshi government to sign the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA), the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA), and the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA) with Bangladesh, to provide Bangladesh with advanced weaponry to defend against Myanmar and India.
The U.S. has also offered Bangladesh ground-launched Harpoon anti-ship missiles to protect Bangladesh’s maritime interests.
The United States is concerned about China’s expanding presence in South Asia and is planning to offer Bangladesh’s next government U.S. and allied defence systems as alternatives to Chinese hardware, Washington’s ambassador to Dhaka told Reuters.
Bangladesh votes in a general election on Thursday after a Gen Z-led uprising toppled India-allied premier Sheikh Hasina in August 2024. She has since taken refuge in New Delhi, allowing China to deepen its influence in Bangladesh as India’s presence wanes.
“The United States is concerned about growing Chinese influence in South Asia and is committed to working closely with the Bangladeshi government to clearly communicate the risks of certain types of engagement with China,” U.S. Ambassador Brent T. Christensen said in an interview on Tuesday.
“The U.S. offers a range of options to help Bangladesh meet its military capability needs, including U.S. systems and those from allied partners, to provide alternatives to Chinese systems,” he said without offering further details.
Christensen said many U.S. businesses were considering investing in Bangladesh but would want the next government to show early and clear signs that it is “open for business”.
“Commercial diplomacy is one of our top priorities, and we look forward to working with the new government to build on progress made with the interim government, particularly in strengthening commercial, economic, and security ties,” he said.
The recent trade agreement between Bangladesh and the U.S. allows Bangladesh to export ready-made garments made with U.S. cotton at a zero per cent tariff. Bangladesh is also receiving much-needed LNG from the U.S. through Chittagong port.
Energy producer Chevron has been in Bangladesh for decades, but few other U.S. companies are visible in the densely populated country of 175 million people, as high taxes and difficulties repatriating profits have created hurdles.
There are no Starbucks or McDonald’s outlets in Bangladesh.
The envoy said Washington would work with “whichever government is elected by the Bangladeshi people”. The race is between two coalitions led by former allies, the Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) and the Islamist Jamaat‑e‑Islami, with opinion polls suggesting the BNP holds an advantage.
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