Defense Update Bangladesh

Chittagong Dry Dock Limited will build heavy stealth frigates for the Bangladesh Navy. CDDL or Chittagong Dry Dock Ltd currently owned by the Bangladesh Navy (BN) established as a complementary to the Chittagong Port Authority under Bangladesh Steel & Engineering Corporation. It was intended to maintenance and repair Bangladeshi flagships & those commercial cargo & container vessels touches Chittagong Port.  In 2015 Government of Bangladesh handed over the CDDL to the BN. After that the navy planned to build heavy frigates, large container vessels and alike. Already CDDL built a cargo vessel. In order to commence building of Bangladesh Navy’s heavy frigate which would be a Chinese design, BN teamed up with Chinese Shipbuilding & Offshore International Co. (CSOC).  Bangladesh Navy slated to have 12-14 such heavy frigates within 2030. And, most importantly they want to build them at home which would commercially-offset a certain portion of money will...

Khulna Shipyard (KSY) Limited was established in 1957 and currently being operated by the Bangladesh Navy. KSY Ltd has built the Durgam-class ASW large patrol craft for BN. After establishment, KSY built and repaired many cargo & container vessels. It also manufacture various steel structures for industry and infrastructure building.  This shipyard was handed over to the Bangladesh Navy in 1999 with a large sum of debt. After 2008 KSY paid all its debt and started making profit. Now it is the largest tax payer in the Khulna divisional region. Products of the KSY Ltd are various cargo vessels, container vessels, firefighting boats, tugboats, submarine tugs, harbor patrolling boats, Padma-class patrol boats, Durgam-class ASW LPCs, floating cranes, tankers, supply ships and some more.  In the coming years, Khulna Shipyard, slated to build stealth corvette for Navy. For this purposes modern facilities are being installed on the yard area. Bangladesh needs to enhance i...

Dockyard & Engineering Works Limited or DEW Ltd is a Bangladeshi shipbuilding industry operating by the Bangladesh Navy, located in Narayanganj. This shipyard builds inshore patrol vessels, harbor patrol crafts, coast guard patrol crafts, landing craft utility, landing craft tanks, medium cargo vessels and high-speed boats. DEW Ltd targeted to build 6,000 DWT ship within 2020. This is the oldest shipyard in Bangladesh, established in 1922. Various types naval ships being built in DEW and in future some larger warships also will built as per the plan.  Bangladesh needs to boost its naval warship building capabilities throughout all the shipbuilding industries the country has. Bangladesh have to protect vast amount of territorial sea waters in the Bay of Bengal. Various types of natural resources like marine fisheries, hydrocarbons may can be a turning point for Bangladesh’s economy. Fishermen from neighboring countries trying steal our fish resources in the area, il...

Bangladesh has very little defense equipment manufacturing facilities. Which have, all are state owned. Among them Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) is the biggest one and established in 1979 with the help China.  After that, in the 80s the facility has been renovated and expanded. Now, BOF manufacturing various kind of small weapons. BD-08 assault rifle, BD-14 general purpose machine guns, Heckler & Koch G3 Battle Rifle, Arges BD-84 hand grenades, FN-16 MANPADS and some others. Most of the ammunitions needed for the armed forces and police forces of Bangladesh are being produced in the Bangladesh Ordnance Factories. Within next year BOF will start to manufacture rocket or projectiles for the home made Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems of Bangladesh Army. Another defense vehicle manufacturing company Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory (BMTF) will assemble the launcher vehicles for the GMLRS.  Bangladesh Ordnance Factories contributing to the country’s secu...

Bangladesh Machine Tools Factory or BMTF is an automobile manufacturing/assembly industry managed by the Bangladesh Army. This state owned commercial venture is primarily tasked to produce various types of military vehicles for Bangladesh Armed Forces. Troop trucks, staff cars, jeeps etc. are being assembled in BMTF. It’s also manufacturing some soldiers’ gears and other materials for Bangladesh Army, Bangladesh Air Force and Bangladesh Navy.  BMTF setting up a plant to produce Armored Personnel Carriers and launcher vehicles for the Guided Multiple Launch Rocket Systems that will be assembled in Bangladesh. For this negotiation is ongoing with China Sinotruck and Taian Special Vehicle Company Ltd. BMTF is the largest venture in Bangladesh in its category. It also produces various agricultural equipment, energy saving lamps, leather items for soldiers and steel structures. Bangladesh needs to build her own military industries rapidly to cope up with the security threat...

Bangladesh has a little industrial base for defense equipment manufacturing and assembly. It comprises mostly land systems, small arms, and naval ships. An aviation center has been established but not going further than overhauling, maintenance and repair.  Bangladesh Ordnance Factories, Bangladesh Machine Tools Factories, Dockyard & Engineering Works Limited, Khulna Shipyard Limited, Chittagong Dry Dock Limited and Banghabandhu Aeronautical Center are the only entities in the defense sector.  Government of Bangladesh trying to expand this sector to create more jobs, saving hard earned foreign currencies and ultimately to enhance armed forces’ capabilities to maintain national security.

Bangladesh Navy Anirban 2017 has been published.  Video Credit: Bangladesh Navy