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Nearly every neighboring country has significantly increased spending on producing or purchasing military weapons. Bangladesh, however, is taking a different route. While the net defense budget has increased in local currency, it has actually decreased in dollars.
Bangladesh now finds itself in a geopolitically tense and challenging position—amid the ongoing war in Myanmar, a surge in separatist movements across neighboring Indian states, increased military presence in the Indian Ocean, and growing strategic polarization in the Indo-Pacific region. In this reality, nearly every neighboring country has significantly increased spending on producing or purchasing military weapons. Bangladesh, however, is taking a different route.
While the net defense budget has increased in local currency, it has actually decreased in dollars. A large share of the budget is being spent on operations and infrastructure development. In recent years, major improvements have been made in physical infrastructure, including new cantonments, modern training facilities, military complexes, auditoriums, and healthcare services. On the other hand, spending on weapons procurement has dropped.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Bangladesh’s arms imports during 2018–2022 declined by nearly 48 percent compared to the previous five-year period. Since 2020, the country’s defense procurement has seen a marked drop. In 2019, Bangladesh spent $714 million on arms imports. By 2022, that figure had fallen to $184 million.
Although the net defense budget increased slightly in local currency over the past five fiscal years, it fell by nearly one-fifth in dollar terms. This is largely due to the depreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar during this time. In FY 2021–22, the net defense budget stood at BDT 306.81 billion. According to the central bank data, the average exchange rate at the time was BDT 86.30 per dollar, meaning the total stood at approximately $3.55 billion. The following fiscal year, the defense budget was BDT 302.25 billion or around $3.04 billion (the exchange rate was BDT 99.46 per dollar back then).
In FY 2023–24, net defense spending dropped further to BDT 291.88 billion. In dollar terms, that amounts to $2.63 billion, based on the exchange rate which was BDT 111.06 per dollar back then. The net defense budget was slightly increased in the recently concluded fiscal year to BDT 325.66 billion. However, when calculated using the market exchange rate of BDT 121 per dollar, the dollar amount remains almost the same. That means the net defense spending for FY 2024–25 was $2.69 billion. As for the current 2025–26 fiscal, the defense budget is set at BDT 341.57 billion, equivalent to $2.8 billion.
Analyzing the budget over these five years shows that while net defense spending was $3.55 billion in FY 2021–22, it has fallen to $2.8 billion this fiscal year. That is a decline of nearly 21 percent, with most of the expenditure still going toward operations and infrastructure development.
In recent years, several military infrastructures have been established across the country. Among them, Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar was commissioned in 2015. Barisal Cantonment opened in 2018. And in 2023, Mithamain Cantonment started operations in Kishoreganj. Additionally, a new military complex and a multipurpose military auditorium were inaugurated at Dhaka Cantonment in 2024. That same year also saw the opening of the 14-story Armed Forces Institute of Pathology building, which offers advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities. Furthermore, the Army Aviation School was established in Lalmonirhat.
Despite infrastructure development, the reduction in spending on arms imports creates what Major General (Retd.) Fazle Elahi Akbar, Chairman of the Foundation for Strategic and Development Studies (FSDS), calls a kind of hollow glow in strategic capability. He told Bonik Barta, “Over the last 15 years, the focus has been only on infrastructure and military glamour. Nothing has been done to increase military capability or deterrence. Considering the geopolitical issues, our defense budget is very negligible.
Look at Pakistan. Their GDP and per capita income are all lower than ours. Yet, they spend several times more on defense than we do. I’m not saying we have to spend like Pakistan, but at least attention should be given to enhancing the armed forces’ capabilities. What little allocation there is has not even been fairly distributed.”
Commenting on the need to boost military capability to stay diplomatically strong in the geopolitical context, he said, “No matter how skilled we are in diplomacy, without military deterrence, we won’t earn respect on the international stage. We cannot be strong diplomatically either. We have only spent on infrastructure, not on armament. When Rohingyas entered Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992, strong actions were taken. Even during General Zia’s time, there was a tough response. But now, without defense deterrence, our neighbors ignore us.”
He stressed the urgent need to rapidly increase air defense capability. “Compared to neighboring countries, our air defense system is almost nonexistent. Even Myanmar is far ahead of us. This requires urgent attention. There is no standard policy for purchasing military equipment. Before allocating budget, requirements and priorities must be clearly defined.”
According to SIPRI’s 2022 data, Bangladesh’s arms imports from 2018 to 2022 dropped by nearly 48 percent compared to the 2013–17 period. During these five years, China was Bangladesh’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 74 percent of total arms imports. The United Kingdom was second with 5.8 percent, followed by Turkey at 4.5 percent.
While Bangladesh’s imports decreased by 48 percent during the 2013-17 period, the trend in other South Asian countries was quite the opposite. India, Pakistan, and Myanmar have continued their military modernization. They have been active in acquiring new technologies. In this context, Bangladesh stands out as an exception.
The SIPRI data also shows that Bangladesh’s arms import expenditure has significantly declined over the past few years, especially after 2019. Back in 2015, Bangladesh imported arms worth about $636 million, which decreased to $449 million in 2016. Then in 2017, the import amount dropped further to $331 million. It went down even further to $155 million in 2018. However, in 2019, the arms import amount surged to $714 million. After that, it fell again. In 2020, arms imports dropped drastically to just $59 million. In 2021, it slightly rose to $73 million, and in 2022, arms import spending stood at $184 million.
Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Mahmud Hussain said, “Although the budget has increased in terms of taka, the net value has decreased. If there is no additional funding beyond the budget to buy new equipment, it becomes a problem. As a result, fighter jets that were supposed to be purchased are not being bought. The old ones have to be kept running. In recent years, no high-value equipment has been purchased. Geopolitical issues could be one reason. If buying a fighter jet from one country in considered, there could be a reaction from another. But despite these challenges, everyone else increases their military capability. The real question is whether we had the willingness to do so.”
Commenting on the lack of effort to boost military capability over the past 16 years, he said, “There was no proper goal to maintain a minimum credible deterrence in the armed forces. Meanwhile, there is a civil war in Myanmar, separatist issues in various states of neighboring India, and long-standing discussions about the Quad in the Indian Ocean. Everyone says we are a small country, but actually, we are not. In terms of population, Bangladesh ranks eighth in the world—that’s something we often forget.”
Bangladesh is already far behind in defense capability. Considering how military technology is advancing day by day, it is crucial for Bangladesh to pay attention now, according to Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Mahmud Hussain. He added, “We need to focus on bringing talented individuals into our forces with technical skills. In future military planning, artificial intelligence and machine learning must be prioritized. We have not paid attention to scientific and technological value until now. Turkey has revolutionized warfare with drones. Other smaller countries have also advanced significantly in military technology.”
en.bonikbarta.com
Bangladesh now finds itself in a geopolitically tense and challenging position—amid the ongoing war in Myanmar, a surge in separatist movements across neighboring Indian states, increased military presence in the Indian Ocean, and growing strategic polarization in the Indo-Pacific region. In this reality, nearly every neighboring country has significantly increased spending on producing or purchasing military weapons. Bangladesh, however, is taking a different route.
While the net defense budget has increased in local currency, it has actually decreased in dollars. A large share of the budget is being spent on operations and infrastructure development. In recent years, major improvements have been made in physical infrastructure, including new cantonments, modern training facilities, military complexes, auditoriums, and healthcare services. On the other hand, spending on weapons procurement has dropped.
According to data from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI), Bangladesh’s arms imports during 2018–2022 declined by nearly 48 percent compared to the previous five-year period. Since 2020, the country’s defense procurement has seen a marked drop. In 2019, Bangladesh spent $714 million on arms imports. By 2022, that figure had fallen to $184 million.
Although the net defense budget increased slightly in local currency over the past five fiscal years, it fell by nearly one-fifth in dollar terms. This is largely due to the depreciation of the Bangladeshi taka against the US dollar during this time. In FY 2021–22, the net defense budget stood at BDT 306.81 billion. According to the central bank data, the average exchange rate at the time was BDT 86.30 per dollar, meaning the total stood at approximately $3.55 billion. The following fiscal year, the defense budget was BDT 302.25 billion or around $3.04 billion (the exchange rate was BDT 99.46 per dollar back then).
In FY 2023–24, net defense spending dropped further to BDT 291.88 billion. In dollar terms, that amounts to $2.63 billion, based on the exchange rate which was BDT 111.06 per dollar back then. The net defense budget was slightly increased in the recently concluded fiscal year to BDT 325.66 billion. However, when calculated using the market exchange rate of BDT 121 per dollar, the dollar amount remains almost the same. That means the net defense spending for FY 2024–25 was $2.69 billion. As for the current 2025–26 fiscal, the defense budget is set at BDT 341.57 billion, equivalent to $2.8 billion.
Analyzing the budget over these five years shows that while net defense spending was $3.55 billion in FY 2021–22, it has fallen to $2.8 billion this fiscal year. That is a decline of nearly 21 percent, with most of the expenditure still going toward operations and infrastructure development.
In recent years, several military infrastructures have been established across the country. Among them, Ramu Cantonment in Cox’s Bazar was commissioned in 2015. Barisal Cantonment opened in 2018. And in 2023, Mithamain Cantonment started operations in Kishoreganj. Additionally, a new military complex and a multipurpose military auditorium were inaugurated at Dhaka Cantonment in 2024. That same year also saw the opening of the 14-story Armed Forces Institute of Pathology building, which offers advanced diagnostic and treatment facilities. Furthermore, the Army Aviation School was established in Lalmonirhat.
Despite infrastructure development, the reduction in spending on arms imports creates what Major General (Retd.) Fazle Elahi Akbar, Chairman of the Foundation for Strategic and Development Studies (FSDS), calls a kind of hollow glow in strategic capability. He told Bonik Barta, “Over the last 15 years, the focus has been only on infrastructure and military glamour. Nothing has been done to increase military capability or deterrence. Considering the geopolitical issues, our defense budget is very negligible.
Look at Pakistan. Their GDP and per capita income are all lower than ours. Yet, they spend several times more on defense than we do. I’m not saying we have to spend like Pakistan, but at least attention should be given to enhancing the armed forces’ capabilities. What little allocation there is has not even been fairly distributed.”
Commenting on the need to boost military capability to stay diplomatically strong in the geopolitical context, he said, “No matter how skilled we are in diplomacy, without military deterrence, we won’t earn respect on the international stage. We cannot be strong diplomatically either. We have only spent on infrastructure, not on armament. When Rohingyas entered Bangladesh in 1991 and 1992, strong actions were taken. Even during General Zia’s time, there was a tough response. But now, without defense deterrence, our neighbors ignore us.”
He stressed the urgent need to rapidly increase air defense capability. “Compared to neighboring countries, our air defense system is almost nonexistent. Even Myanmar is far ahead of us. This requires urgent attention. There is no standard policy for purchasing military equipment. Before allocating budget, requirements and priorities must be clearly defined.”
According to SIPRI’s 2022 data, Bangladesh’s arms imports from 2018 to 2022 dropped by nearly 48 percent compared to the 2013–17 period. During these five years, China was Bangladesh’s largest arms supplier, accounting for 74 percent of total arms imports. The United Kingdom was second with 5.8 percent, followed by Turkey at 4.5 percent.
While Bangladesh’s imports decreased by 48 percent during the 2013-17 period, the trend in other South Asian countries was quite the opposite. India, Pakistan, and Myanmar have continued their military modernization. They have been active in acquiring new technologies. In this context, Bangladesh stands out as an exception.
The SIPRI data also shows that Bangladesh’s arms import expenditure has significantly declined over the past few years, especially after 2019. Back in 2015, Bangladesh imported arms worth about $636 million, which decreased to $449 million in 2016. Then in 2017, the import amount dropped further to $331 million. It went down even further to $155 million in 2018. However, in 2019, the arms import amount surged to $714 million. After that, it fell again. In 2020, arms imports dropped drastically to just $59 million. In 2021, it slightly rose to $73 million, and in 2022, arms import spending stood at $184 million.
Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Mahmud Hussain said, “Although the budget has increased in terms of taka, the net value has decreased. If there is no additional funding beyond the budget to buy new equipment, it becomes a problem. As a result, fighter jets that were supposed to be purchased are not being bought. The old ones have to be kept running. In recent years, no high-value equipment has been purchased. Geopolitical issues could be one reason. If buying a fighter jet from one country in considered, there could be a reaction from another. But despite these challenges, everyone else increases their military capability. The real question is whether we had the willingness to do so.”
Commenting on the lack of effort to boost military capability over the past 16 years, he said, “There was no proper goal to maintain a minimum credible deterrence in the armed forces. Meanwhile, there is a civil war in Myanmar, separatist issues in various states of neighboring India, and long-standing discussions about the Quad in the Indian Ocean. Everyone says we are a small country, but actually, we are not. In terms of population, Bangladesh ranks eighth in the world—that’s something we often forget.”
Bangladesh is already far behind in defense capability. Considering how military technology is advancing day by day, it is crucial for Bangladesh to pay attention now, according to Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Mahmud Hussain. He added, “We need to focus on bringing talented individuals into our forces with technical skills. In future military planning, artificial intelligence and machine learning must be prioritized. We have not paid attention to scientific and technological value until now. Turkey has revolutionized warfare with drones. Other smaller countries have also advanced significantly in military technology.”
Military infrastructure, glamour grows; weaponry expenditure remains limited
Nearly every neighboring country has significantly increased spending on producing or purchasing military weapons. Bangladesh, however, is taking a different route. While the net defense budget has increased in local currency, it has actually decreased in dollars.
en.bonikbarta.com
