Pakistan has expressed its intention to deepen defence cooperation with Bangladesh and build a long-term strategic partnership, signalling a significant shift in bilateral military engagement.
Under the partnership, Islamabad has assured the fast-tracked delivery of Super Mushshak trainer aircraft, along with comprehensive training and long-term technical support. Discussions are also underway on the potential procurement of JF-17 Thunder fighter jets.
A high-level Bangladeshi defence delegation, led by Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, is currently in Pakistan and held talks with Pakistan Air Force (PAF) Chief Air Chief Marshal Zaheer Ahmed Baber Sidhu in Islamabad.
During the visit, the Bangladesh air chief toured several key PAF facilities, including the National ISR and Integrated Air Operations Centre, PAF Cyber Command, and the National Aerospace Science and Technology Park.
He observed Pakistan’s capabilities in intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR), cyber and space operations, electronic warfare, and unmanned systems.
According to a press release issued by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), the meeting focused on strengthening operational cooperation and institutional synergy between the two air forces, with particular emphasis on training, capacity building, and collaboration in aerospace and emerging technologies.
Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan also sought Pakistani assistance in maintenance support for the Bangladesh Air Force’s ageing fleet and in the integration of air defence radar systems to enhance airspace surveillance.
Growing defence engagement
Diplomatic analysts note that defence cooperation between Dhaka and Islamabad has accelerated since the interim government assumed power in August 2024.
They said that collaboration in training, capacity building, or procurement of low-tech and non-combat equipment is relatively routine. However, any move towards acquiring high-tech platforms such as fighter jets would mark a much deeper level of strategic alignment.
The JF-17 Thunder is a fourth-generation, single-engine, lightweight multirole combat aircraft jointly developed by China’s Chengdu Aircraft Corporation (CAC) and the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex (PAC).
Changing Dhaka–Islamabad dynamics
Bangladesh maintained limited engagement with Pakistan during the Awami League’s tenure. Following the fall of Sheikh Hasina in August 2024, however, the interim government has taken steps to normalise and revitalise bilateral relations.
Over the past year and a half, four Pakistani ministers—Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Home Minister Syed Mohsin Raza Naqvi, Commerce Minister Jam Kamal Khan, and Petroleum Minister Ali Parvez Malik—have visited Dhaka.
During this period, foreign secretary-level talks held after a 15-year gap, while the Joint Economic Commission met for the first time in two decades in 2025.
Bangladesh has also reciprocated diplomatically, sending Religious Affairs Adviser AFM Khalid Hossain to Islamabad, where he met several senior Pakistani leaders. Military-to-military exchanges have likewise increased, with multiple visits and discussions on defence cooperation.
A former Bangladeshi diplomat observed that Dhaka had procured ammunition and non-combat equipment from Pakistan even during Sheikh Hasina’s rule, but stressed that the acquisition of JF-17 fighter jets would be “an entirely different proposition.”
“The JF-17 is jointly developed by Pakistan and China, and any move by Bangladesh to procure it would attract regional and international scrutiny,” he said. “There may be discussions, but concluding such a deal would require Dhaka to carefully manage pressure from both the region and beyond.”
