Bangladesh Japan keen on defence agreement with Bangladesh, what Dhaka stands to gain

[Isa Khan]

Japan is interested in signing a specialised defence agreement with Bangladesh within this year. Diplomats from both countries believe the deal would create opportunities for defence equipment supply, technology transfer, and joint research.

In May, Chief Adviser of the interim government Professor Muhammad Yunus paid a bilateral visit to Japan, where he held a formal meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. The matter of a defence agreement came up in discussions between the two leaders.

Referring to the Tokyo meeting, two senior officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Prothom Alo that Bangladesh and Japan had reached an understanding in-principal to sign an agreement on the transfer of defence equipment and technology.

The proposed pact, titled Agreement on the Exchange of Armaments and Defence Technology, would open the door to technology sharing, joint research, and technology transfer. It could play an important role in enhancing Bangladesh’s defence capacity.

In April 2023, Bangladesh and Japan signed a memorandum of cooperation on defence. Building on that, Tokyo is now preparing to sign a detailed agreement with Dhaka. The earlier memorandum was a prerequisite for a comprehensive deal on equipment and technology transfer.

What the agreement with Japan includes​

Security and defence analysts say the pact on arms and technology exchange will strengthen Bangladesh’s capacity. However, they also point out that it may draw a reaction from China, as Bangladesh has long maintained close defence cooperation and arms procurement ties with Beijing. If Bangladesh moves towards a strategic defence partnership with Japan, it could cause some discomfort for China.

According to Japan’s defence policy, the “Arms and Defence Technology Exchange” agreement contains three core elements:

1. Transfer of defence equipment, patrol vessels, surveillance systems, communications gear, or non-lethal military technologies.
2. Joint research — in areas such as cyber security, coastal surveillance, and satellite technology.
3. Strict controls on armaments — equipment cannot be transferred to third countries and must be used only within specified limits.

Diplomatic sources say that if signed, the agreement would enable Bangladesh to acquire advanced technologies in maritime and cyber security, thereby raising the overall standard of its security apparatus alongside the defence sector. At the same time, Dhaka would have to carefully balance its relations with the major powers.

Back in September 2022, this correspondent spoke with then–Japanese Ambassador to Bangladesh Ito Naoki. He noted that Japan had recently eased its laws on arms exports, allowing Japanese defence manufacturers to begin exporting equipment to several Asian countries.

The ambassador also said that representatives of Mitsubishi Electronics had visited Dhaka for discussions on supplying military equipment to Bangladesh. They met with officials from the Bangladesh Air Force to present potential products and technologies, showing particular interest in supplying radar systems for air defence.

Diplomatic sources add that the defence deal was first raised ahead of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s scheduled visit to Tokyo in November 2022, although the trip was later postponed. At the time, when Japan raised the matter of arms sales, Bangladesh cited financial constraints. Japan responded that, if necessary, it could consider special financial assistance to facilitate arms sales.

Asked about the planned agreement, security analyst and President of the Bangladesh Institute of Peace and Security Studies (BIPSS) Major General (Retd) ANM Muniruzzaman told Prothom Alo, “Under the proposed agreement, Bangladesh will receive not only arms but also defence-related technologies from Japan. This would positively contribute to strengthening our armed forces. Since the agreement carries no binding conditions, it will also be favourable for us.”

How many agreements signed​

Japan has already signed similar defence technology and equipment exchange agreements with a number of countries. According to defence-related websites, Japan first entered into such a pact with the United Kingdom in 2013. As of January this year, Mongolia became the 12th country on the list. Asian signatories include India, Singapore, Vietnam, the Philippines, and Mongolia.

Since independence, Bangladesh has signed 20 defence-related memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with 11 countries. The most recent was on 12 August this year, when the interim government signed an MoU with Malaysia.

Earlier, on 18 April last year, a seminar organised by the Bangladesh Institute of International and Strategic Studies (BIISS) revealed that Bangladesh had signed 19 defence MoUs with 10 countries, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar, Turkey, India, France, and the United Kingdom. The seminar, titled 'Defence Diplomacy', was attended by then Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed as chief guest.

Japan keen on defence agreement with Bangladesh, what Dhaka stands to gain

Bangladesh and Japan had reached an understanding in-principal to sign an agreement on the transfer of defence equipment and technology.

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