Why Bangladesh could raise Indian red flags by buying a China-Pakistan fighter jet

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May 23, 2026 #Bay of Bengal, #Dhaka, #Hasan Mahmood Khan, #India, #Islamabad, #Jagannath Panda, #Nigeria, #Pakistan, #Pakistan Aeronautical Complex, #Sheikh Hasina, #Siliguri Corridor, #South China Morning Post (SCMP), #Stockholm Centre for South Asian and Indo-Pacific Affairs, #Sweden, #Washington, #Zaheer Ahmed Babar Sidhu

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Why Bangladesh could raise Indian red flags by buying a China-Pakistan fighter jet

Dhaka could be boosting its air power with the reported acquisition of a JF-17 flight simulator

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Bangladesh's acquisition of a simulator for the JF-17 Thunder signals “serious intent to field modern fighters”, an observer says. Photo: Handout

Seong Hyeon ChoiPublished: 6:00am, 24 May 2026Bangladesh’s potential purchase of a Sino-Pakistani fighter jet could raise tensions in India’s sensitive northeast, as relations between Dhaka and New Delhi remain tense, analysts said.According to Pakistani media reports, the country has transferred a fully operational simulator of a JF-17 Thunder Block III combat aircraft to Bangladesh.

Fighter jet simulators replicate the experience of flying an aircraft and are used to train pilots in combat tactics and systems management.

AdvertisementJointly developed by the Pakistan Aeronautical Complex and Chengdu Aircraft Corporation, the fighter is one of the main combat aircraft operated by the Pakistan Air Force and has also been exported to Azerbaijan, Myanmar and Nigeria.

Pakistan’s reported transfer of the simulator follows a meeting between the two countries’ air force chiefs in Islamabad in January which included “detailed discussions” on potential procurement of the jet, according to the Pakistani military.

If confirmed, the purchase would boost Dhaka’s air combat capabilities, replacing its ageing Russian-made MiG-29s and Chinese-made F-7s, also known as J-7s.

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