Twelve Chinese “technicians” have arrived in Bangladesh to carry out upgradation and repair work on Chinese-origin battle tanks operated by the Bangladesh Army, according to intelligence agencies based in Dhaka. The technicians arrived in two batches on January 12 and 13 and were initially taken to the Rajendrapur Cantonment before being moved to Chittagong.
The first batch consisted of seven technicians, while the second included five specially qualified machinists. Bangladesh Army sources said the team will visit the Chariya field firing range in Chittagong to observe tank trials and subsequently undertake necessary upgrades and repair work on several armoured platforms currently in service.
Tanks under inspection
The armoured vehicles identified for inspection and repair include the Chinese-origin T-59 Durjoy, T-69-IIG, MBT-2000 (VT-1A) main battle tanks, and the VT-5 light tank. The T-59 Durjoy is a heavily modernised version of the original T-59, featuring a new turret, a 125-mm gun, and upgraded electronic systems.
The T-69-IIG tanks are equipped with enhanced Chinese components, while the MBT-2000 (VT-1A), inducted by Bangladesh in 2011, is considered a versatile main battle tank. The VT-5 is a comparatively newer Chinese light tank that has been inducted into the Bangladesh Army in recent years.
Background of tank inductions
According to an officer from an intelligence wing, Bangladesh ordered 44 MBT-2000 (VT-1A) tanks from China in 2011, with deliveries carried out in phases beginning in early 2013 over a period of 27 months.
The T-59 tanks, the oldest in the army’s armoured inventory, were acquired from China in the early 1980s to supplement Soviet-era T-54/55 tanks. These platforms were later upgraded to the ‘Durjoy’ standard during 2012–13.
The T-69 tanks, first inducted in 1991, underwent major upgrades between 2010 and 2013, when they were converted to the advanced Type 69-IIG standard using kits supplied by China. These upgrades included explosive reactive armour (ERA), improved fire control systems, enhanced engine power, and upgraded navigation capabilities.
The VT-5 light tanks were procured under a 2019 contract for 44 units. The first consignments arrived in November 2021 and 2022, making Bangladesh the first export customer of China’s Type 15/VT-5 light tank.
Security arrangements and urgent repairs
A document dated January 11, 2026, accessed by intelligence agencies, shows that Bangladesh Army headquarters sought security cover for the Chinese technicians from January 12 to 16. During this period, they were to be stationed at the Chariya field firing range in Chittagong.
The document also revealed that urgent repair work was required on at least one T-59 tank that was involved in an accident during a firing exercise at the Chariya range on May 4, 2024.
The T-59 tanks were procured by the Bangladesh Army through Dhaka-based M/s Badhua Traders Pvt Ltd, a defence-focused firm established in 2003. The company is known to have links with China’s state-owned defence major NORINCO and specialises in military hardware, logistics, services, and communication equipment.