United News of Bangladesh

Energy Adviser Muhammad Fouzul Kabir Khan on Tuesday said no specific decision has been taken regarding the sourcing or procurement of defence equipment, clarifying 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 said. Talking to reporters after a meeting of the Economic Affairs Committee, the adviser said the recent move by the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) was limited to land allocation and should not be interpreted as a commitment to procure defence equipment from any particular country. “The only difference here is that land has been allocated so that production can take place locally,” Fouzul Kabir said. His comments came amid questions over recent discussions on establishing a defence industrial zone and reports suggesting possible procurement of fighter aircraft from Pakistan or other countries. Responding to such queries, Fouzul Kabir said no decision had been made on whether defence equipment would be produced with assistance from Pakistan, Türkiye, China or any other country. “There has been no specific decision on where the equipment will come from or who will be involved,” he said. “I was personally present at the BEZA meeting. What was done there was only the allocation of land for the production of defence equipment; nothing else!” Asked whether the initiative could help reduce defence expenditure at a time when the country has been facing energy shortages over the past one and a half years and has made costly imports in various sectors, the adviser refrained from linking the land allocation to any future procurement or manufacturing plans. “I will only speak about what I know. I do not want to comment on matters about which I do not have information,” he said. He reiterated that the move does not indicate any immediate plan for manufacturing fighter jets, drones or other defence hardware, nor does it signal a shift in procurement policy. The adviser stressed that any further decisions regarding defence production, sourcing or international collaboration would be taken through due process and communicated officially when finalised. No decision yet on implementing proposed pay scale: Energy Adviser Meanwhile, Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) is going to set up the country’s first Defence Industrial Zone in Mirsarai, Chattogram, to produce military equipment for domestic use and export. Speaking at a press conference at the Foreign Service Academy on Monday, BEZA Executive Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun said the zone will be developed on about 850 acres of land in Mirsarai.