Government focuses on defense modernization, cyber security, and aerospace surveillance
Indigenous Drone Manufacturing to Tackle Evolving Threats
- The government has initiated indigenous drone production plans alongside a full review of military cybersecurity policies to counter emerging threats.
- Optimizing existing aerospace infrastructure was declared more feasible than building costly segregated airbases due to strategic land limitations.
- Modern predictive data analytics now empower the meteorological department to issue reliab
The government has undertaken strategic engineering initiatives to manufacture unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs or drones) domestically to neutralize multifaceted national security threats, counter cyber warfare, and reinforce airspace integrity. Concurrently, comprehensive policy and structural reviews of the armed forces' cybersecurity architecture are underway alongside enhanced maritime electronic surveillance.
The technological and operational roadmaps were outlined on 2 September 2026, Wednesday, by Prime Minister Tarique Rahman—in his capacity overseeing the Ministry of Defence—while responding in writing to queries from parliamentarians during the defense ministerial question-and-answer session of the National Parliament.
Responding to a query from Shirin Sultana (Reserved Women’s Seat-2), the Prime Minister stated that the armed forces’ operational cybersecurity policy framework is being systematically evaluated to withstand emerging non-linear, multidimensional warfare. Prioritizing sovereign technological capabilities over foreign hardware dependency, the administration has formulated concrete plans to engineer and manufacture military and tactical reconnaissance drones locally. Furthermore, advanced sensory and tracking systems are being actively deployed across maritime jurisdictions to bolster real-time surveillance.
Addressing safety concerns and calls for dedicated training runways outside major metropolitan zones raised by Mahfuza Hannan (Reserved Women’s Seat-41), he clarified that the Bangladesh Air Force maintains continuous nationwide air defense and infrastructure protection. Given high spatial constraints and the immense fiscal and operational overhead associated with building isolated greenfield airbases, optimizing and operating within existing technological flight facilities remains the most pragmatic defense strategy.
Addressing weather surveillance capabilities raised by Mohammad Enamul Haque (Chattogram-12), the Prime Minister dismissed claims that national forecasting remains lagging behind global standards. He noted that leveraging advanced computational modeling and remote-sensing satellite infrastructure, the Bangladesh Meteorological Department routinely issues accurate 5-to-10-day forecasts covering severe storms, squalls, and lightning hazards. Initiatives to widen automated observation sensor networks, institutionalize advanced big-data predictive modeling, and train specialized technical personnel are actively ongoing.
Additionally, in response to a query from Nilofar Chowdhury Moni (Reserved Women’s Seat-10), the Prime Minister detailed the established operational protocols and policy guidelines governing armed forces deployment in civilian, technical, and disaster response missions.
//DBTech/JNO/MSI//
