Bangladesh Army will purchase 44 new main batle tanks MBT-2000 Type 90-II from China.

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.