Bangladesh Buys 10,000 Argentine Pistols in $3.5 Million Deal

Reading Time: 3 minutes The Bersa Thunder 9, an Argentine-made 9×19 mm semi-automatic pistol, has now been in active service with the Bangladesh Army and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for over seven years, following a successful procurement and delivery deal concluded in 2017. The original agreement, signed in May 2017, saw the government acquire 10,000 units of the Bersa Thunder 9 from Argentina’s leading firearms manufacturer Bersa S.A., in a deal worth approximately US $3.5 million. An earlier shipment of 600 TPR9 pistols had also been delivered as part of a pre-contract evaluation programme. Since entering service, the Bersa pistols have become a standard-issue sidearm for officers and selected non-commissioned ranks within both the Army and BGB. Field reports over the years have credited the Thunder 9 with solid reliability, low maintenance requirements, and ease of training—factors that contributed to its smooth adoption. Backstory: A Strategic Diversification The decision to procure sidearms