Is Bangladesh procuring massive tranche of arms including fighter aircraft, submarines and frigates without aiming, or is there a larger objective behind the procurements? This was the question asked to Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, in Dhaka on 23 January 2013 after she had inked agreements to purchase weapons worth $1 billion from Russia during her visit to that country from 14 – 16 January. Sheikh Hasina gave strong justification for the procurements stating, ‘It is futile to become a king without swords and shields.’ Modernisation was being carried out under, “Forces Goal 2030,” plan to enhance capability of the country’s armed forces as per Hasina as denoted by the Daily Star, Bangladesh. However questions are likely to remain.
The Prime Minister outlined the objective of modernization of the armed forces to enable them to take up their role in UN peacekeeping missions and securing the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the country. Thus safeguarding 1,11,631 sq km of maritime waters in the Bay of Bengal after the country had won the boundary case against Myanmar was highlighted as one of the factors. Sheikh Hasina was also hopeful that this area will be enlarged in case Bangladesh would win the maritime case against India, verdict of which is expected in 2014.
The Prime Minister was also criticized for arms purchase from Russia and accused of joining the India Russia axis. However she refuted the claims stating, ‘our policy is friendship to all and malice to none.’ ‘Russia is our tested friend… Should we make friends with those who helped us during the independence war or those who opposed the war? Why is this mentality?’ she said. The prime minister said, ‘We do not belong to any axis. Bangladesh is my axis and whatever we do we do for the interest of people.’ She also claimed that Bangladesh had purchased weapons from many countries including China, Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan and Italy. She sited the order of 44 tanks, a training aircraft and missiles from China recently. Hasina also justified the purchase from Russia on the grounds of deferred payments and low 0.45 per cent interest which would need to be paid from 2018.
In anticipation of the requirement to protect a large Extended Economic Zone, Bangladesh is particularly focusing on the Navy. There are plans to procure submarines from China which may possibly be old vessels to be refurbished at Dhaka’s costs. A submarine base is also being constructed in the country. Bangladesh is already negotiating for two 053H2 frigates at a possible cost of Tk 6.44 billion from China.
One locally built patrol craft BNS Padma was commissioned during January 2013, while two more maritime patrol aircraft will be added to Navy by this April 2013. Special naval force SWADS has been formed for protecting maritime boundary. Plans to upgrade, BNS Bangabandhu by inducting two helicopters and missiles are also in progress. A tanker and five patrol craft are also been added over a period.
The massive purchase of arms from Russia at a cost of $ 1 billion though on long term loan interest has been criticized by various quarters. While the need for acquiring coastal craft and helicopters may be justified the necessity of procuring submarines, fighter aircraft and tanks may come for some discussion given that there are no viable threats that could be envisaged against the country and tanks and fighters have limited value in a counter insurgency operation or in UN peace keeping. In the years to come Bangladesh is no doubt planning to be a consequential power in the Bay of Bengal region with acquisition of Russian and Chinese equipment and joint exercises with the US Navy.
This Article first appeared on Security Risks and is reposted here under a Creative Commons license.