Japan to supply four patrol vessels to Bangladesh Navy.

According to information published by Asahi on November 21, 2023, Japan's government has agreed to provide four patrol boats to the Bangladeshi Navy under its new framework, the Official Security Assistance (OSA).
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Japanese Coast Guard's patrol vessel PM25 Muromi. (Picture source: Japanese gov)

The OSA, which stands for "Government Security Capacity Enhancement Assistance," aims to bolster security collaboration by providing defense equipment to allied countries. This framework was recently utilized in a summit with the Philippines, where Japan agreed to supply coastal surveillance radars.

Utilizing the OSA, the Japanese government has now agreed to supply Bangladesh with four patrol boats. These boats are intended for use by the Bangladeshi Navy for surveillance and disaster relief operations.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Bangladesh is seeking to diversify its sources of defense equipment, moving away from reliance on China. Seizing this opportunity, the Japanese government aims to strengthen its security cooperation with Bangladesh.

Bangladesh, located on the Bay of Bengal, is strategically important due to major sea lanes and its proximity to India. It is also a key point in China's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative, stretching from Asia to Europe.

For the OSA program, the Japanese government had allocated approximately 2 billion yen in the initial budget for this fiscal year, targeting the Philippines, Bangladesh, Malaysia, and Fiji as recipient countries.