Bangladesh has moved a step closer to buying Chinese fighter jets for its air force, with a senior government adviser confirming on August 25 that a draft agreement covering the purchase has been sent to the country's armed forces and relevant ministries for final review. Prime Minister's Information and Broadcasting Adviser Zahed Ur Rahman told reporters the deal centers on the J-10CE, the export version of China's J-10 multirole fighter, as part of a broader push to modernize an air force still flying jets that are decades old.
A Draft Deal Headed To Bangladesh's Armed Forces For Review
According to Anadolu Agency, Rahman said the draft agreement covers not just the J-10CE but attack helicopters as well, with separate evaluations underway for VIP helicopters intended for government officials and several unmanned aerial vehicle systems. He said the fighter jet purchase could be completed within the current fiscal year if parliament approves the necessary budget, or would otherwise be pushed into the following fiscal year.
Officials Point To The Fighter's Reported Combat Record And Its Price
Rahman was direct about why Dhaka is looking at Chinese hardware rather than Western alternatives. He pointed to the J-10's performance during the armed clash between India and Pakistan, telling reporters that Indian made French Rafale fighters were shot down by Pakistani operated J-10s, a claim he described as verified. Independent assessments of that claim have been more cautious. According to The War Zone, Pakistan has asserted its J-10CEs downed Indian aircraft during the May 2025 confrontation, but those claims remain disputed rather than independently confirmed. Rahman also argued the J-10CE offers a sharply lower price than comparable Western jets such as the Rafale or the Eurofighter Typhoon, calling it a better fit for Bangladesh's defense budget without a major drop in capability.
Aging Chinese Jets Already Make Up Bangladesh's Fighter Fleet
The proposed purchase would replace hardware that is well past its prime. Bangladesh's air force currently operates roughly 212 aircraft in total, including 44 fighters, and 36 of those, the large majority, are older Chinese built J-7 jets. The idea of buying J-10CEs first surfaced in October 2025 under the interim government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, and the plan now on the table calls for 20 of the jets at an estimated cost of about $2.2 billion. According to Reuters, China has been Bangladesh's largest arms supplier for roughly two decades, having already provided the country with naval vessels, combat aircraft, tanks and missile systems.
China's Fighter Export Push Gains A Second South Asian Customer
If the deal goes through, Bangladesh would become only the second confirmed export customer for the J-10CE after Pakistan, a milestone for Beijing's broader effort to build a fighter jet export business that competes with longtime suppliers in Russia and the West. The War Zone's reporting notes that Uzbekistan has also emerged as a potential buyer, reportedly eyeing 24 of the jets, which would extend China's defense market reach into Central Asia as well. Pakistan's reported combat use of the J-10CE, whatever the final verdict on specific claims from last year's fighting, has clearly raised the aircraft's profile among prospective buyers now watching an operationally tested Chinese fighter for the first time.
India Watches A Shifting Airpower Balance Near Its Most Vulnerable Corridor
The prospect of a second South Asian air force flying the J-10CE alongside Pakistan has not gone unnoticed in New Delhi. According to the Independent, the aircraft would give Bangladesh its first credible beyond visual range combat capability, backed by modern AESA radar and network centric warfare systems, a significant jump from its current fleet of aging J-7s and MiG-29s. Analysts tracking the region say simultaneous Pakistani and Bangladeshi operation of the same fighter could complicate India's defense planning across two separate borders at once, particularly given the proximity of Bangladeshi territory to India's Siliguri Corridor, the narrow strip of land connecting India's northeastern states to the rest of the country and long regarded as one of its most sensitive strategic chokepoints. For Beijing, the deal is less about a single sale than about deepening long term defense ties in a part of the world where it is steadily gaining ground.
