DHAKA: Bangladesh has ordered 25 wide-body aircraft from Boeing as part of a tariff deal with the United States, a top commerce ministry official told AFP on Thursday, as European envoys push an Airbus agreement.
“We made a commitment and ordered 25 wide-bodies, and we expect to receive the first one in 2029,” official Mahbubur Rahman said. “It’s part of the tariff deal with the US.”
Bangladesh has been in political turmoil since a student-led uprising in August 2024 overthrew autocratic former leader Sheikh Hasina.
The South Asian nation, the world’s second-biggest garment manufacturer, struck a trade deal with the United States to scale back President Donald Trump’s punishing tariffs in August.
Dhaka proposed buying Boeing planes and boosting imports of US wheat, cotton and oil to help narrow its trade deficit, which Trump has used as justification for imposing painful levies.
Rahman said Dhaka was also considering an offer from Boeing’s European rival.
“We have offers from Airbus as well, and an assessment is currently ongoing,” he said.
Bangladesh’s state-run BSS news agency said national flag carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines was reviewing proposals from both companies.
Airbus has proposed supplying 10 A350 wide-body and four A320neo narrow-body aircraft, BSS said.
Boeing’s further offer is for 10 787 Dreamliners and four 737 MAX jets, it reported.
Bangladesh has a reported 19 aircraft in its current fleet, an estimated 14 of them from Boeing.
European envoys at talks held in Dhaka this month sought to woo Bangladesh into buying Airbus planes, BSS said.
European Union ambassador Michael Miller, speaking at an event held at the French embassy, said Bangladesh had tremendous potential in the aviation sector and that the EU wanted a place “at that table”.
Textile and garment production accounts for about 80 percent of exports in Bangladesh and the industry has been rebuilding after it was hit hard during the deadly 2024 unrest that toppled the government.
The United States represents 20 percent of Bangladesh’s ready-made garments exports.
Trump threatened Bangladesh with 37 percent tariffs in April – more than double the 16 percent already placed on cotton products. That was scaled back to 20 percent after a deal in August.
Bangladesh is being run by an interim government ahead of elections slated for February 2026.
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