Student platform Inqilab Moncho has accused neighbouring India of interfering in Bangladesh’s internal defense affairs, alleging that such actions are compromising the country’s sovereignty in shaping its national security policy.
Speaking at a press conference held Wednesday at Dhaka University’s Madhur Canteen, the group’s convener, Sharif Osman Hadi, claimed that India has repeatedly obstructed Bangladesh’s efforts to procure modern JF-17 fighter jets from China.
“When a country can’t even decide what kind of defense system it will build without external pressure, it raises serious questions about sovereignty,” Hadi said.
“It’s as though India gets to dictate the very architecture of our defense,” he added.
The press briefing was part of Inqilab Moncho’s ongoing “Coffin March” campaign, which calls for a blockade of the Secretariat to demand state accountability for the recent Milestone tragedy and a formal declaration of the “July Charter” within the month.
Their statements come in the aftermath of a tragic fighter jet crash near Milestone College in Uttara, an incident that has sparked renewed debate over the state of Bangladesh’s air defense capabilities.
Inqilab Moncho criticized the current condition of the Air Force, pointing out that several operational fighter jets are based on models developed before the 1990s.
“These are aircraft that most countries retired decades ago,” said Hadi. “Meanwhile, our neighbor maintains one of the world’s most advanced military arsenals.”
The student platform further alleged that successive governments have allowed the military establishment to deteriorate, rewarding senior defense officials with financial privileges while neglecting modernization—undermining professionalism and deepening foreign dependency.