Bangladesh Eyes U.S. Defence Deals to Rebalance Trade, Boost Military Modernisation

Reading Time: 3 minutes Bangladesh is exploring a series of high-value defence and aerospace acquisitions from the United States as part of a dual-pronged strategy to modernise its armed forces and counter growing trade pressure from Washington, senior officials and defence analysts confirm. The initiative comes amid rising concern in Dhaka over a 37% tariff hike imposed on Bangladeshi exports to the U.S. market — the highest ever faced by the country in recent years. The Trump administration’s renewed “America First” policy and emphasis on reciprocal trade has placed Bangladesh in the crosshairs of a shifting global economic landscape. “The trade imbalance is no longer just an economic issue — it’s now a strategic one,” said a senior government source, requesting anonymity. “If we want to preserve our access to the U.S. market and maintain long-term goodwill, we need to think beyond garments.” Strategic Spending Bangladesh currently exports over $10