Latest news with #HasanMahmoodKhan
India.com
7 days ago
- Business
- India.com
Yunus Turns To Pakistan's Ally Turkey: Bangladesh Races To Arm With Tanks, Rockets And Guns Aimed At India?
Bangladesh Turkey Defence Ties: The runway lights at Dhaka's military airport glowed faintly on the evening of July 21. A sleek Air Force aircraft taxied before taking off into the night. Onboard was Air Chief Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan, one of the most powerful men in Bangladesh's interim government, heading to Istanbul, Turkey. This was not a routine visit. It was a quiet but telling signal of something deeper brewing between Bangladesh and Turkey. Behind closed doors in Dhaka, the interim government led by Mohammed Yunus has begun redrawing the nation's military roadmap. And in that plan, Turkey is fast replacing China as the go-to partner for weapons, war machines and battlefield technology. Two Chiefs, One City Earlier this month, Bangladesh's Navy Chief Admiral Mohammad Nazmul Hassan had also flown out of Dhaka. While his itinerary officially marked a private U.S. visit, a crucial segment of his journey placed him in Turkey between July 22 and 25. Both the Navy and Air Force heads being in Istanbul during the same week was not a coincidence. It was a calibrated show of intent. Invited by Turkish military leadership, they are now holding meetings that could redefine Bangladesh's defense ties. Discussions are reportedly centered around arms deals, joint training and strategic cooperation. The focus? Building a new defense spine that is not Chinese. Guns, Rockets and Tanks The early signs of this tilt had surfaced last year when Bangladesh quietly acquired 18 Boran 105 mm howitzer guns from Turkey's MKE Corporation. Those who know the defense corridors in Dhaka say this is only the beginning. There is an active plan to scale that number up to 200 units in the coming years. In the pipeline are Turkish-made TRG-230 and TRG-300 rocket systems, which are designed for high-speed and long-range devastation. Otokar's Tulpar light tanks are also on the wishlist. If deals go through, Bangladesh will gain battlefield mobility it has not had before. A Silent Goodbye to China? China has long been the dominant force in supplying arms to Dhaka. But the mood is shifting. Earlier this month, an official trip by Bangladesh Army Chief General Waker-uz-Zaman to Beijing was cancelled without much explanation. The visit had been planned under an invitation by the People's Liberation Army (PLA). Its quiet withdrawal has set tongues wagging in South Block and beyond. For decades, Beijing had counted Bangladesh among its reliable strategic partners in South Asia. But the new signals from Dhaka suggest that loyalty may no longer be guaranteed. The Man Behind the Curtain Observers in Dhaka say Yunus is shaping a new foreign policy doctrine through the backdoor of military diplomacy. His meetings with Turkish Defense Industry Secretary Haluk Görgün during a hush-hush visit on July 8 were not just ceremonial. Görgün met all three service chiefs. But it was his private conversation with Yunus, arranged discreetly by Bangladesh's military intelligence wing, that raised eyebrows. Sources familiar with the visit say that the mood was warm. Mutual interests were discussed. The tone was strategic, not transactional. A Broader Ideological Bond At the centre of this new closeness lies more than just weapons. There is an ideological undercurrent that aligns Yunus' worldview with that of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan. Both share a deep admiration for the Islamic world's lost past. Erdoğan dreams of reviving the Caliphate-era influence. Yunus, meanwhile, faces growing pressure from Islamist groups within Bangladesh's political ecosystem. The shift from China's secular and communist approach to Turkey's faith-infused military industrial complex is practical as well as philosophical. What's Next If Bangladesh continues on this path, it may soon sign deals that permanently alter its security alignment in South Asia. Indian defense watchers are already tracking this evolution with unease. The presence of two military chiefs in Istanbul, both negotiating arms deals simultaneously, could well be the start of a strategic triangle between Dhaka, Ankara and Islamabad. For now, the Yunus administration is not saying much. But in the skies above Istanbul and in the corridors of Turkish defense halls, a new kind of partnership is taking shape – one that may redraw regional equations far beyond the Bay of Bengal.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Yahoo
Bangladesh students protest after air force jet crash kills 31
STORY: Students in Bangladesh protested on Tuesday (July 22) after an air force fighter jet crash killed at least 31 people, most of whom were children. People were leaving Dhaka school to go home when the jet plowed into the building on Monday. It burst into flames, trapping pupils in the fire and debris. Students from the school and nearby colleges demanded answers and compensation from the government. Bangladesh's air force chief Hasan Mahmood Khan said an inquiry has been launched. 'It was a very sad incident. We will try our best to find out the causes.' Rescue workers continued to scour the charred buildings for debris on Tuesday as people, distressed, looked on. Sagor Hossain said he's been searching 'like a maniac' for his niece Raisa Moni who's been missing since the crash. 'She is a third-grader. Since yesterday afternoon, we have visited all the hospitals and the school. But cannot find her whereabouts.' The military said the jet had taken off from a nearby air base on a routine training mission. After experiencing mechanical failure, the pilot, who was among those killed, tried to divert the aircraft away from populated areas, but it crashed into the campus. The government announced a day of mourning, with flags at half-mast and special prayers at all places of worship.
Arab News
09-02-2025
- Politics
- Arab News
Bangladesh's air force chief seeks stronger defense ties with Saudi Arabia, UAE
DHAKA: Bangladesh's Air Force chief began a multi-day visit to Saudi Arabia and the UAE on Sunday, a trip expected to strengthen Dhaka's defense ties with the Gulf states. Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan arrived in Riyadh on Sunday, where he is due to hold talks with top officials at the Royal Saudi Air Force, including his counterpart, Lt. Gen. Turki bin Bandar bin Abdulaziz. Khan will also visit RSAF's bases and establishments as part of his trip to the Kingdom, according to the public relations division of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, ISPR. 'The visit of our air chief marshal will strengthen defense cooperation between Bangladesh and Saudi Arabia,' ISPR Director Lt. Col. Sami Ud Dowla Chowdhury told Arab News. 'Khan will discuss opportunities for increasing collaboration in the area of joint exercise and training. The visit will definitely pave the way for closer cooperation between the two air forces in the coming days.' Dhaka and Riyadh signed in 2019 an agreement to further their military cooperation, which has served as a basis for their collaborations in the field. From Saudi Arabia, Khan will continue his Gulf trip to the UAE on Feb. 14 to meet his Emirati counterpart, Maj. Gen. Staff Pilot Ibrahim Nasser Mohamed Al-Alawi, and discuss 'various bilateral issues of mutual interest.' Both Saudi Arabia and the UAE are 'very important countries' in the Gulf region, Chowdhury said. 'We have been enjoying excellent relationships with both countries. With this visit, we can say our defense cooperation will be further enhanced.'
