BD plans to buy 20 Chinese-made J-10CE
Staff Reporter :
To modernise the Bangladesh Air Force and strengthen national air defence, the government is preparing to procure 20 Chinese-made J-10CE multirole fighter jets at an estimated cost of $2.20 billion (approximately Tk27,060 crore) by 2027.
The agreement – covering acquisition, training, maintenance, and related logistics – is expected to be executed during FY2025-26 and FY2026-27, either through a direct purchase or a government-to-government arrangement.
According to official documents reviewed by the media, payments will be made in instalments over 10 fiscal years, extending up to FY2035-36.
The J-10CE, the export version of China’s J-10C already in service with the People’s Liberation Army Air Force, recently drew international attention following unverified reports that it had shot down several French-made Rafale jets of the Indian Air Force during the India-Pakistan clashes in May 2025.
The Chief Adviser’s Office has estimated the base price of each aircraft at $60 million, or about $1.2 billion (Tk14,760 crore) for the entire fleet. Additional expenses for training, equipment, and freight are projected at $820 million (Tk10,086 crore). Including insurance, VAT, agency commissions, civil works, and ancillary costs, the total expenditure reaches approximately $2.20 billion.
To finance the deal, the Ministry of Finance will allocate funds over a 10-year period ending in FY2035-36.
Meanwhile, Finance Adviser Salehuddin Ahmed on Tuesday declined to comment on the government’s reported plan to procure $2.2 billion worth of military hardware, including fighter jets, from China.
Speaking to reporters following a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Government Purchase, he said, “I won’t make any comment on this issue.” When pressed further, he added with a smile, “Just because I know something, does that mean I have to reveal everything?”
Earlier in the day, several media outlets reported that the government was moving ahead with plans to acquire J-10CE multirole fighters from China to enhance the Bangladesh Air Force’s operational capabilities, at an estimated cost of $2.2 billion.
At the same meeting, the committee approved two major food import proposals – wheat from the United States and non-basmati parboiled rice from India – totalling Tk1,044 crore.
Under an existing memorandum of understanding (MoU), Bangladesh agreed to import 700,000 tonnes of wheat annually from the US, valued at about $200 million, in exchange for tariff concessions from Washington. In the first phase, 220,000 tonnes will be imported on a government-to-government basis.
The Directorate General of Food will oversee the purchase, valued at Tk825.31 crore. The wheat will be supplied by Agrocorp International Pte Ltd, authorised by US Wheat Associates, at $308 per tonne.
Additionally, the committee approved the import of 50,000 tonnes of non-basmati parboiled rice from India through an international tender. The contract, worth Tk219.09 crore, was awarded to Bagadiya Brothers Private Ltd at a rate of $359.77 per tonne.