Twelve Chinese “technicians” arrived in two batches in Dhaka on January 12 and 13 and were taken to the Bangladesh Army’s Rajendrapur Cantonment before being moved to Chittagong where they will undertake upgradation and repair of battle tanks, information accessed by Northeast News reveal.
While the first batch comprises seven technicians, the second batch is made up of five specially qualified machinists who, well-placed Bangladesh Army sources said they will visit the field firing range in Chittagong to observe and then carry out necessary upgrades and repair of Chinese-origin battle tanks, including the T-59 Durjoy, T-69-IIG, MBT-2000 (VT-1A) and VT-5 light tanks.
The heavily modernised T-59 tank was installed with new turrets, 125 mm guns and advanced electronics.
On the other hand, the T-69-IIG tanks feature enhanced Chinese components and the MBT-2000 (VT-1A) is a versatile Chinese MBT acquired in 2011, the VT-5 is a Chinese light tank.
The Bangladesh Army ordered 44 MBT-2000-(VT-1A) from China in 2011 although deliveries took place over a phased schedule beginning in early 2013 and was spread over 27 months.
Among the Bangladesh Army’s armoured assets, the T-59 is the oldest as they were acquired from China in the early 1980s.
These supplemented the Soviet-era T-54/55 tanks before they were upgraded to the ‘Durjoy’ standard in 2012-13.
First acquired in 1991, the T-69 were upgraded to the advanced Type 69-IIG standard between 2010 and 2013, after receiving kits from China to enhance armour (ERA), fire control, engine power and navigation systems.
The Chinese-made VT-5 light tanks were procured in late 2021, with the first batches arriving in November 2021 and 2022, following a 2019 contract for 44 units, making Bangladesh the first export customer for the Type 15/VT-5.
A January 11, 2026, document accessed by Northeast News shows that the Bangladesh Army headquarters sought security for the Chinese technicians from January 12 to 16 when the visitors would be stationed at Chariya field firing range in Chittagong.
The document reveals that repair work was urgently necessary for at least one T-59 tank which met with an accident during a firing session at the Chariya field firing 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 defense-focused company established in 2003.
The company, which has known ties to China’s state defence firm NORINCO, specialises in military hardware, services, logistics and communication equipment
