For
the first time in the country's history, the Bangladesh
government will purchase 44 new tanks MBT-2000
Type 90-II and three armoured recovery vehicles
(ARV) for the army as part of its plan to modernise the
armed forces. The country will also buy two brand new helicopters
for the army to ensure necessary logistic support for the
UN peacekeeping activities.
The Main Battle Tanks (MBT-2000)
and the ARVs will be bought from China, and the helicopters
from France through government-to-government deals, which
were recently signed. According to the deals, the cost of
the tanks will be around Tk 1,201 crore, and the helicopters
Tk 174 crore. Besides, a process is on to buy 18 brand new
cannons.
The purchases would be done from the budgetary allocations for the army, said government sources.
The government increased the allocation for the armed forces to Tk 12,134 crore in the proposed budget for fiscal 2011-12 from Tk 10,918 crore in the current fiscal year.
"The tanks will be bought through a government to government deal ensuring maximum transparency," Master General of Ordnance (MGO) of Bangladesh Army Maj Gen Abdul Matin told The Daily Star yesterday.
"The purchase is being done as a part of modernisation of the Bangladesh Army," he said adding that the tanks will be delivered in phases over a span of 27 months. In the first phase 24 tanks will come within 20 months, and the rest will come in the second phase over the next 7 months.
The purchases would be done from the budgetary allocations for the army, said government sources.
The government increased the allocation for the armed forces to Tk 12,134 crore in the proposed budget for fiscal 2011-12 from Tk 10,918 crore in the current fiscal year.
"The tanks will be bought through a government to government deal ensuring maximum transparency," Master General of Ordnance (MGO) of Bangladesh Army Maj Gen Abdul Matin told The Daily Star yesterday.
"The purchase is being done as a part of modernisation of the Bangladesh Army," he said adding that the tanks will be delivered in phases over a span of 27 months. In the first phase 24 tanks will come within 20 months, and the rest will come in the second phase over the next 7 months.
No comments:
Post a Comment