ISLAMABAD: Bangladesh will not take any step that could harm its relations with any country, even as reports circulate about a possible government-to-government agreement with China on military drone manufacturing, the country’s foreign adviser, Md Touhid Hossain, said Wednesday.
According to state broadcaster Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha (BSS), Hossain said the government would act cautiously to preserve balanced foreign relations while pursuing its national interests.
“We will definitely not do anything that will deteriorate our relations with any party. We will act while maintaining a balance,” Hossain said while responding to a journalist’s question at the foreign ministry about the potential impact of such an agreement on Bangladesh’s relations with Washington.
The comments come amid media reports suggesting that Dhaka and China may be exploring cooperation on manufacturing military drones, raising questions about how such a move could affect Bangladesh’s ties with Western partners.
Hossain said Bangladesh would proceed carefully in safeguarding its foreign relations, stressing that no decision would be taken in isolation or without weighing broader diplomatic considerations, BSS reported.
He said that Bangladesh needs to improve the capabilities of its armed forces, highlighting aging equipment, especially in the air force.
“Our aircraft are very old, and many of them are not even in serviceable condition. We will have to make minimum purchases,” he said. “There is ongoing discussion about where to procure equipment from and how much to acquire from which country.”
Responding to a separate question about alliance formation, the foreign adviser said Bangladesh has not joined any alliance over the past one and a half years.
“Discussions on various groupings will continue,” Hossain said. “If we see that joining a group serves our interests and helps protect them, we will do so. Otherwise, there is no question of joining.”
