Bangladesh is known for its close relationship with India since it gained independence from Pakistan. The latter supported for long time against Pakistan. But the wind of change is stronger than ever. Shifting how it defends itself, Bangladesh now sees its choices less tied to India. Instead of relying only on New Delhi, ties with Pakistan grow stronger year by year. Dependence on technology from China keeps rising too.
In a sign of how rapidly the narrative is changing, regional reporting now frames the Bangladesh Air Force’s latest combat aviation plans as a deliberate reorientation: from exploring the Chinese-built J-10 to pursuing the Pakistan–China co-developed JF-17 Block III.
According to Defence Security Asia’s article published on Friday, 9 January 2026, Bangladesh is in advanced negotiations for the acquisition of 48 JF-17 Block III fighters.
The development follows a wave of international reporting in late 2025 that Bangladesh had shown interest in China’s J-10 fighter, including assessments that Dhaka was considering the platform as part of a wider multirole fighter modernisation effort.
However, early January reporting introduced a more direct Pakistan channel. Talks between top military officials from Pakistan and Bangladesh aimed at building a new defence agreement moved forward, according to Reuters. On the table were details about selling JF-17 Thunder warplanes to Bangladesh, showing how Islamabad is pushing harder to send arms abroad while deepening partnership efforts there.
One after another, the revelations point to how Bangladesh once stayed tightly linked with India - now those ties face pressure from fresh geopolitical shifts. While Dhaka has historically balanced between regional powers, the reported pivot from J-10 interest to JF-17 Block III negotiations is being read by observers as a sign that Bangladesh is not only modernising its air force but also recalibrating political alignments in ways likely to be watched closely in New Delhi.
The Bangladesh Air Force has officially signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with Leonardo S.p.A., Italy for the procurement of the world-renowned Eurofighter Typhoon multi-role combat aircraft.
Author: Özgür Ekşi
