HIT Chairman’s Dhaka Visit Accelerates Bangladesh–Pakistan Defence Cooperation

Reading Time: 2 minutes Pakistan’s Heavy Industries Taxila (HIT) Chairman, Lieutenant General Shakir Ullah Khattak, met the Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army today at Army Headquarters in Dhaka, marking a significant step forward in defence-industrial engagement between the two countries. The meeting centred on ongoing proposals to upgrade Bangladesh’s ageing fleet of Type 59 and Type 69IIG main battle tanks, a long-standing priority within the Army’s modernisation roadmap. The discussions follow a high-level Bangladesh Army delegation’s visit to HIT in July, during which Dhaka assessed Pakistan’s experience in upgrading Chinese-origin armoured platforms. HIT subsequently submitted a comprehensive proposal to modernise 40 Type 59 tanks and 58 Type 69IIG tanks, both of which have served as the backbone of Bangladesh’s armoured units for decades. Officials familiar with the dialogue noted that the proposed upgrade package includes the integration of 125mm main guns, enhanced armour protection, and a modern