Hasina tells defence ministry to gear up for arms export

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has stressed export of arms and ammunition and cutting down on their imports.

She asked defence ministry officials on Thursday to consider exporting arms.

“We will manufacture ourselves, not import...will even export if needed,” Hasina said.

The Prime Minister went to the defence ministry—a portfolio she holds— on Thursday.

She said that the Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory was now manufacturing 7.62 mm automatic rifles, ammunition and hand-grenades for the Bangladesh Army.

“I want the machine tools factory authorities to initiate steps to cut reliance on imports,” said Hasina.

Information on Bangladesh’s arms import is never made public but the defence sector gets significant budgetary allocation. This year the amount is Tk 164.62 billion – 8.4 percent higher than the previous year.

She highlighted various steps taken by her government for the development of the armed forces and assured them of “giving special attention” so that they could continue to uphold their goodwill in future.

Hasina’s government bought Mig-29 fighter jets during its first tenure in 1996. But the subsequent BNP-Jamaat-e-Islami coalition government filed a corruption case over the purchase.

The prime minister emphasised arming the military with sophisticated equipments to make the armed forces more effective.

She highlighted the maritime boundary victory over India and Myanmar and dubbed it as “political and diplomatic” success of her government.

“We’ll have to take steps to preserve and extract sea wealth,” the prime minister said.