Bangladesh and China on Tuesday signed an agreement to set up a UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) manufacturing and assembly facility in Bangladesh, a move aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and expanding Dhaka’s indigenous drone production capabilities. The agreement, which includes technology transfer, was signed in Dhaka between the Bangladesh Air Force and China Electronics Technology Group Corporation (CETC) International. The deal comes at a time when Dhaka’s ties with New Delhi remain strained following the political change in Bangladesh in 2024, and is being seen as another step that further embeds Beijing’s strategic footprint in the Bay of Bengal region.

Under the pact, the Bangladesh Air Force and CETC International will jointly establish a state-of-the-art UAV manufacturing and assembly plant. According to the Bangladesh military, the project will focus on long-term self-reliance in drone production through capacity building, industrial skills development and sustained technical cooperation. Officials said Bangladesh will initially gain the capability to manufacture and assemble multiple categories of UAVs, including medium-altitude low-endurance platforms and vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) UAVs. The drones are expected to support a range of operations, including surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as humanitarian and disaster-response missions.

The development is expected to be closely watched in the region, especially by India, as China continues to deepen defence-industrial engagement with countries along the Bay of Bengal.