Bangladesh’s Defence Economic Zone: A Strategic Pivot Toward Military Industrialisation

Reading Time: 2 minutes Bangladesh is moving ahead with plans to establish a Defence Economic Zone (DEZ), an ambitious initiative designed to develop a sovereign defence industrial base and enhance the country’s capacity to manufacture critical military hardware. This initiative aligns directly with Forces Goal 2030, the country’s long-term military modernisation roadmap, and represents a strategic pivot toward industrial self-reliance in the defence sector. Structure and Strategic Aims The DEZ will operate under the framework of the Bangladesh Economic Zones Authority (BEZA) and is among the five priority zones being fast-tracked for development between FY2025 and FY2030. Rather than pursuing the earlier plan of 100 economic zones, the government has focused on a smaller number of high-impact zones, with the DEZ at the centre of the defence transformation agenda. The primary objective of the DEZ is to create a clustered industrial ecosystem where public and private sector entities both domestic