Information Adviser
Government to buy China’s J-10CE fighter jets
Prime Minister’s Information Adviser Dr. Zahed Ur Rahman speaks at the weekly briefing.
The government is in the process of procuring China made fourth generation MRCA fighter aircraft of various models, attack helicopters, VIP helicopters and UAV systems as part of the modernization of the Bangladesh Air Force, Prime Minister’s Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman said.
He said, “If the budget is available in this fiscal year, these activities will be implemented. If that is not possible, they will be moved to the next budget.”
He made the remarks at a press conference held at the Secretariat on Tuesday to brief reporters on the government’s current activities.
At the press conference, the adviser said draft agreements for negotiation meetings on the procurement of MRCA (J 10CE) fighter aircraft and attack helicopters have been prepared through the relevant committee. The drafts have been sent to the Armed Forces Division and other ministries for approval.
Regarding the J 10CE fighter, he said, “There is a recent real experience in a combat situation. When India and Pakistan were at war, India’s Rafale was shot down, and it was done by a Chinese J 10. This information is now established. So China has produced a multirole fighter. Rafale is now considered one of the most advanced fighters of the 4.5 generation. It performed very well in a combat situation against it. That is why Bangladesh has focused on this and we are progressing very well along this path.”
He added, “Compared with Rafale of similar quality or the Eurofighter Typhoon of the European variant, Chinese fighters are comparatively much cheaper. I hope our government will take all necessary measures to ensure the defense of the people.”
Zahed Ur Rahman said, “We talk about the second independence. It is said that Bangladesh has become independent in a new way. There is no comparison between this and the first independence. We will have no confusion about this. Still, we call it the second independence because Bangladesh could not make decisions in its strategic interests regarding its foreign policy and military policy. Whether we would buy J 10 fighters or discuss this issue was not possible before August 5. This is why we talk about the second independence.”
