Bangladesh Air Force Advances Indigenous UAV Capability Through Sino-Bangladeshi Joint Venture

Reading Time: 3 minutes Drone manufacturing facility slated for completion by December 2025 The Bangladesh Air Force (BAF) is advancing its indigenous aerospace and defence manufacturing capability through a joint venture with China to establish an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) production facility in Bangladesh. The initiative, structured around a technology-transfer arrangement, represents a significant step in Dhaka’s long-term ambition to develop self-reliant defence-industrial capacity and reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. According to official sources, construction of the UAV manufacturing complex is expected to be completed by December 2025, with production activities projected to commence soon thereafter. The facility will enable the BAF to assemble, maintain and eventually produce UAV systems domestically, thereby enhancing operational readiness, strategic autonomy and local technical expertise. Details of the development were recorded in the minutes of a coordination meeting held in September, chaired by Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun, Executive Chairman of the Bangladesh Investment