Bangladesh Police Helicopter Deal Stalled Amid US Sanctions on Russian Supplier

Reading Time: 3 minutes A Tk 428 crore government to government helicopter procurement deal between Bangladesh and Russia has come to a halt following US sanctions on the Russian supplier. This has left the Bangladesh Police’s new aviation unit grounded. The agreement, signed on 19 November 2021, was meant to deliver two Mi 171A2 multirole helicopters for the police force. Despite significant progress including payments totalling Tk 299.68 crore, roughly seventy percent of the contract value, and the completion of pilot and maintenance training — the US Department of the Treasury’s sanctions have now suspended the deal. A letter dated 19 January 2025 from Md Jasim Uddin, Deputy Secretary of the Public Security Division, instructed the Inspector General of Police to halt all procedures concerning the import justification certificate. The directive cited risks linked to the sanctioned status of JSC Russian Helicopters. Officials fear these risks could trigger secondary sanctions