B'desh procures defence hardware worth USD 2 bln in recent yrs

Bangladesh has procured defence hardware worth Taka 15,000 crore (USD 2 billion) in the past four-and-half years as part of its initiatives to modernise its armed forces, according to a media report today.
The mass circulation Prothom Alo newspaper quoting an unidentified "source" in the defence ministry said the highest Tk 4,975.5 crore was spent for navy followed by Tk 5,407 for army and Tk 4,722 for air force.
Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR) officials said they were not in a position to comment on the report immediately when approached by PTI today.
But the Alo newspaper said the ISPR earlier declined to divulge details about the defence purchases as the issue was related to "national security".

It said under the procurement during the Awami League government, navy got 16 ships, two maritime helicopters and missiles; the army 2600 armored vehicles, 44 third generation tanks and 15 APCs; the air force found short range air defence systems and 16 fourth generation fighter planes.
It said the procurements were made under several defence agreements with different countries but most of those were never revealed to public with one such being a defence pact between Bangladesh and Belarus in July this year when Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited the country.
Hasina, however, on many occasions said her government procured huge volume of hardware for the defence forces to face natural disasters alongside the external attacks.