Some noises of doubt and discomfort has been voiced in the civil society and the media circuit of Bangladesh over the recent $1 billion defence purchase agreement that was signed in Moscow by the Bangladesh military with Russian suppliers and creditors in presence of Russian Republic’s President Vladimir Putin and visiting Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Questions were raised about the necessity, volume and credit terms of the arms-purchase package.

Political noises were also made in this connection by the Foreign Minister ahead of the deal in Dhaka, and by the Prime Minister herself after the signing of the deal in Moscow. The former said that the agreements (and the accompanying memoranda of understanding or m.o.u’s) represented a paradigm shift in the foreign policy of Bangladesh. In her press briefing on June 13, Foreign Minister Dr. Dipu Moni said: “We want to boost our relations with those who stood beside us in 1971 as well as we want to develop good relations with those who opposed us. After 1975 there had not been much cordiality and cooperation between Bangladesh and the Russian federation, but the present government after assuming office took the initiatives to advance bilateral ties imbibed with the spirit of the Liberation War.” In the joint press conference with President Putin, Prime Minister (and Defence Minister) Sheikh Hasina recalled the help and assistance provided by the then Soviet Union during and after the Liberation War, and simply said “the friendship between Bangladesh and Russia would reach to a new height. A new door of prospect has opened by this visit.” On return to Dhaka, she seemed to backtrack somewhat from the paradigm shift suggested by Dr. Dipu Moni, but maintained the rhetoric: “The deal for purchase of arms and equipment from Russia does not reflect change in policy; rather, it is in conformity with the country’s foreign policy based on ‘friendship to all and malice to none,’ laid by the independence leader Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman. Russia has been a tested friend since the Bangladesh’s war of liberation in 1971, when it vetoed UN resolutions thrice as those were against the interest of the Bengalee nation fighting for independence.
“It is not a big deal, rather it is part of purchase of essential weapons and equipment to maintain the current position of Bangladesh in the United Nations Peace Keeping Mission.”
Civil society skeptics noted that the rhetoric about reviving 1971 ties was essentially diplomatic pep-talk with matter-of-fact responses from the Russian President about enhanced economic relations, nuclear and other energy cooperation, and space technology cooperation on the offer from the Russian side. Critics pointed out that the Russian Republic was different from Soviet Russia, and “friends of 1971” are no more in power in the Russian Republic, which is party to Sanghai Cooperation Organisation, and also to the globalisation process led by the United States. The Foreign Minister’s suggestion was also contradicted in the press briefing on the arms deal with Russia, given by the Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Arms Forces Division, Ministry of Defence, Government of Bangladesh, answering all the questions raised by media men and civil society skeptics. The PSO, supplemented by the Assistant Air Chief and the Master General of Ordinance, clarified that the defence purchase from Russia was not at all new. Bangladesh received 8 Mig-21 fighter aircraft from Russia in 1972. After that, Bangladesh purchased MI-8 helicopter, MIG-29 fighter and MI-171 helicopter to strengthen the air force. The PSO elaborated: “The new defence purchase deal has been done under the 1999 defence cooperation agreement between the two countries. We are not buying only from Russia. In fact, we have been purchasing from different friendly countries. Bangladesh recently purchased 4th generation tank MBT 2000, fighter aircraft and warships from China. Some other purchases from China are still in process. Specifically Bangladesh ordered purchase of 16 F-7BGI war aircraft from China, and four of them already arrived and another four will come in March. The remaining eight will also come in phases. Bangladesh, apart from purchasing defence equipment from abroad, is also producing arms and ammunition to meet its demands. Bangladesh is manufacturing 12,000 rifles annually, our ammunition factory has the capacity to produce 60 million pieces of ammunition per year. “Our each and every purchase is essential for increasing capability of the armed forces and also for using those in UN Peacekeeping missions. The equipment to be purchased from Russia are highly essential for enhancing capability of the armed forces. The interest rate of the loan is 4.5 percent and will be paid in 20 instalments in next 15 years.
Military equipment like tank, destroyer missile, armoured personnel carrier, mechanised pontoon bridge for the army and combat trainer aircraft and military helicopter will be purchased under the loan agreement signed on January 15. The conditions of the agreement are highly flexible and Bangladesh side negotiated the deal for over a couple of years and succeeded in bringing down the interest rate from 9 percent to 4.5 percent. The deal did not come overnight. It was finalised after prolong discussions and negotiations. There are instances that defence purchases were done both on less than 4.5 percent and above 4.5 percent interest rates in previous years. The loan money will be paid from the annual defence budget and also from the reimbursement money being paid for UN peacekeeping missions.
Under the agreement, we can add or deduct any weapon and equipment with the consent of both the countries. The agreement requires signing of a separate contract on every purchase and there will be clearly mentioned name of equipment, volume and other facts and figures. “We will purchase the arms and equipment within 2017 and first instalment will be paid on April 15, 2018, so the payment will be completed by 2028.”
Peace-keeping missions apart, enhanced security requirements in our economic zone in the Bay of Bengal has been created by the prospective hydrocarbon fields we have leased or are in the process of leasing out for off-shore exploration. The PSO explained in this connection: “The equipment to be purchased from Russia, especially for the air force, will also be used for guarding our maritime boundary, for which purchase was also done for enhancing capability of the navy in the last four years, including several warships and necessary equipment from UK, China and a frigate is being collected from US.” Security experts are of the view that it is unwise to attempt either to derive partisan political capital out of the capacity-building programmes of our armed forces, or to cast doubts on them from doctrinaire prejudices or from residual prismatic vision of Cold War days. In the flux of changing world order, limited wars and armed disturbances are patently abounding through Asia and Africa. UN peace-keeping in many places are becoming more like peace-enforcement. Combat role is becoming increasingly an essential part of peace missions. Bangladesh, by contributing more and more forces to UN peace missions, is not only earning money for personnel services, but also getting reimbursed for the use and maintenance of its equipments provided for the missions (UN peacekeeping units have to provide for both personnel and equipments). It is, therefore, absurd to question the necessity of the equipments under purchase. It is also important to remember that as our economy is fast expanding, it is imperative that we build our own capacity to militarily defend our interests within and without our borders.
Jane’s Defence Weekly of London reported in May 2006 that Bangladesh military had chalked out a comprehensive modernisation programme for its army, navy and air-force with 2020 as its ceiling. The programme has been updated and extended with 2030 as its ceiling of completion. What is significant in this connection is that three superpowers, China, Russia and the United States (the USA signed last May a “partnership dialogue” pact with Bangladesh and committed “excess military articles” to be given for Bangladesh’s needs) are all agreed about a potential role for Bangladesh in regional and global security, and as such are ready to help Bangladesh build up its defence capacity.