Published : 06 Sep 2026, 09:50 PM
Updated : 16 Sep 2026, 11:48 AM
The European Union’s Ambassador to Bangladesh Michael Miller has urged the government to take Airbus’s offer “seriously” as it weighs aircraft purchases alongside its deal with Boeing.
At a meeting with the commerce ministry officials in Dhaka on Sunday, Miller led ambassadors and representatives from all 27 EU member states, calling for a level playing field in government procurement.
"In our view, Airbus has an incredible competitive offer. This should be taken very seriously, and we expect a swift conclusion to talks between Airbus and Biman," he said.
He also urged the government to base procurement decisions on commercial merit so European companies could compete with firms from other countries on equal terms.
State-run Biman Bangladesh Airlines signed a deal with US manufacturer Boeing on Apr 30 to buy 14 aircraft, following months of discussions.
The purchase will cost $3.7 billion, or Tk 454.08 billion, calculated at Tk 122.73 to the dollar.
Boeing is set to deliver the aircraft in phases between 2031 and 2035.
US President Donald Trump's special envoy Sergio Gor had earlier flagged the Boeing sale in a post on X, describing it as a new agreement.
"President Trump and the Bangladesh prime minister struck another remarkable deal this week. Under it, Bangladesh has committed to spending billions of dollars, far more than their initial order," Gor wrote.
Trump subsequently wrote to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman thanking him for agreeing to buy Boeing aircraft.
"Boeing will not let you down, and I will not forget. Thank you very much for your attention to this matter. I look forward to meeting you in the not too distant future," Trump wrote.
On the same day, Civil Aviation M Rashiduzzaman Millat told reporters that Bangladesh was buying the 14 Boeing aircraft at Trump's request, with plans to lease more planes in future.
The Awami League government had earlier announced a policy decision to buy 10 Airbus aircraft.
But after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in the July Uprising in 2024 and pressure from Trump over tariffs, Biman’s order ultimately went to Boeing.
Under pressure from the Europeans, the BNP government is now also pursuing talks to buy aircraft from Airbus.
Sunday's meeting covered Bangladesh-EU trade and investment ties, removing non-tariff barriers, and the business environment for European companies.
At an earlier meeting with Commerce Minister Khandakar Abdul Muktadir, Miller had also pressed for the removal of non-tariff barriers alongside greater diversification of Bangladesh's export products.
The EU had flagged 61 non-tariff barriers at the time, of which the government has removed 48 within six months, Muktadir said.
Among the fixes: resolving licence renewal complications for fully foreign-owned logistics companies, raising the annual import ceiling for commercial samples from $10,000 to $20,000, and clearing customs valuation issues around scanning smart cards used to ensure export product “traceability”, alongside setting reasonable pricing for them, the minister said.
The commerce minister said the EU is Bangladesh’s largest export market and that a decision on the country’s LDC graduation must be made this year.
"We've applied to delay LDC graduation by three years. We've already completed two stages of the UN process, the UN Committee for Development Policy (CDP) and ECOSOC.”
"When this comes up at the UN General Assembly's 81st session, we expect to secure the European Union's consent. That's their support," he added.
According to Miller, talks on a free trade agreement (FTA) between Bangladesh and the EU are likely to take place later this week.
