Yunus Turns To Pakistan's Ally Turkey: Bangladesh Races To Arm With Tanks, Rockets And Guns Aimed At India?
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.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
‘We want to disrupt the luxury car segment'
How has been the drive so far, especially on the EV front? We are standing for technology and safety. Those two factors have been very well-received by our customers. As we look at our next chapter, we realise there are a couple of trends that are shaping the country. One, luxury brands across categories are actually moving at a very fast pace. Secondly, the penetration of new energy vehicles in the luxury segment is much higher than it is in mass brands. That also presents an opportunity as that segment has not really been disrupted yet. It's been headed by a couple of OEMs all along. We believe that much like in the mass segment, we have been able to create some level of disruption in the luxury space in such a short time. So, what are your plans for the luxe space? The first one is the Cyberster (launched on July 25 at Rs 75 lakh apiece), which is a roadster and is a sports car. The second is the M9, our first luxury MPV and it's the longest and the widest in the segment. Both these cars are going to stay true to our brand promise. These two vehicles will have technologies that you have never seen before and are going to have safety features that you have never seen before. And it is going to create experiences that you have never experienced before. You have seen a runaway success with the Windsor, primarily because of its pricing. Why the switch to luxury now? The overall luxe car space is about 50,000 units per annum. We are playing in a fairly niche segment, and that is the segment we want to disrupt. Given your relationship/partnership with the Chinese firm Saic Motor, how good or bad is your rare earth materials position? We are as impacted or not impacted as anybody else. It impacts not just EVs, but ICE products as well. And it is very important to ensure that as an industry, we work alongside the government and our national body SIAM to have this addressed. Our production is unlikely to be impacted in the immediate future, but we are watching the situation very carefully. Because at this point of time, we have a longer lead time of three-four months of cycle. What about your partnership with Saic? Is it not an advantage? I don't think it is a question of advantage or disadvantage. For one, it is a very serious issue. Because it impacts many components, both in ICE and EVs. If someone thinks this is only impacting EVs that is not true. Very importantly the SIAM is working very closely with the government to ensure that this issue does not impact production of all vehicles.
New Indian Express
an hour ago
- New Indian Express
Turkey condemns Jewish prayer on Al-Aqsa compound
ISTANBUL: Ankara on Sunday blasted an Israeli government minister for conducting a Jewish prayer on the Al-Aqsa compound in east Jerusalem. In a highly controversial move, Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir publicly conducted on Sunday a Jewish prayer at the mosque's compound, which is Islam's third-holiest site, and sits on the Temple Mount, Judaism's holiest place. "We strongly condemn the raid carried out on the Al-Aqsa Mosque by certain Israeli ministers, under the protection of Israeli police and accompanied by groups of Israeli settlers," the Turkish foreign ministry said in a statement. "The security of Al-Aqsa Mosque and the preservation of Jerusalem's sacred identity are not only regional priorities but also a primary responsibility on behalf of humanity's collective conscience," it said. Jewish religious rituals are prohibited in the compound by a long-standing agreement between Israel and Jordan, custodian of the site. In recent years, the understanding, known as the "status quo" has been repeatedly violated by Jewish visitors, including members of Israel's parliament.
Time of India
2 hours ago
- Time of India
Agra-born adventurer lifts off to edge of space in Blue Origin's spacecraft
. An 80-year-old Agra-born adventurer-cum-businessman, Arvinder 'Arvi' Singh Bahal, lifted off to the edge of space aboard Blue Origin's NS-34 mission along with five other crew members on Sunday. The suborbital flight lifted off from the company's Launch Site One in West Texas at 6:00 p.m. IST, marking another milestone in private human spaceflight. Bahal was part of Blue Origin's 14th human flight to suborbital space. The flight, lasting 11 minutes, carried a six-member crew to the Kármán line — the internationally recognised boundary that separates Earth's atmosphere from space. Bahal was accompanied by tech entrepreneur Justin Sun, Turkish businessman Gokhan Erdem, Puerto Rican meteorologist Deborah Martorell, British teacher Lionel Pitchford and venture capitalist JD Russell. Describing Bahal, Jeff Bezos-owned Blue Origin wrote, 'Arvi is a real estate investor born in Agra, India, and now a naturalised US citizen. A lifelong traveler and adventurer, Arvi has visited every country in the world, the North and South poles, and skydived Mount Everest and the Pyramids of Giza'. The 80-year-old holds a private pilot's licence and also flies helicopters. The India-born adventurer lives in Beverly, Massachusetts and has been a naturalised US citizen since 1979. Bahal, who grew up near the Taj Mahal, had joined the National Defence Academy in 1962 but left due to a polo accident that caused him partial hearing loss. Later, he worked on a Scottish-owned tea plantation in Darjeeling for nearly four years. By 1970, he ventured into the garment manufacturing business near Delhi. He later migrated to the US. Besides setting up Bahal Properties — a real estate company he has led since 1975, Bahal has built successful ventures in fashion, sportswear and hospitality over the past 45 years. He recently wrote his first book, Tireless Traveler, and plans to write many more travel books.
