Rokan's Journal

In an era marked by shifting geopolitical fault lines, rising hybrid threats, and increasing strategic competition in South Asia, Bangladesh must reevaluate the structure, role, and modernization of its armed forces. Defense reforms are no longer a matter of convenience—they are a strategic necessity. However, reforming the defense establishment of a sovereign nation like Bangladesh must be approached with foresight, sensitivity, and utmost caution, ensuring that national security is preserved, military professionalism is upheld, and foreign or political interference is strictly resisted.

A thoughtful and balanced defense reform agenda in Bangladesh can be discussed under following key considerations:

1. Clear Strategic Vision

At the heart of any meaningful defense reform lies a long-term, cohesive, and adaptive national defense strategy. For Bangladesh, the need for such a vision is now more urgent than ever, as the nation faces a rapidly evolving security environment shaped by internal challenges and external dynamics. The strategic vision must look beyond traditional threats and incorporate non-conventional dangers, such as cyber warfare, information operations, asymmetric tactics, border skirmishes, and maritime disputes in the Bay of Bengal. The defense strategy should be regionally aware and globally conscious, recognizing India’s assertive posturing, China’s growing regional influence, and the emerging Indo-Pacific strategic architecture.

Reforms under this vision must not be undertaken merely in response to crises or under foreign advice. Instead, they must be anchored in Bangladesh’s sovereign interests, historical context, and constitutional values. A sound doctrine, aligned with this vision, should guide force modernization, procurement priorities, research and development, and human capital investments. This will ensure readiness for joint operations, peacekeeping, and national emergencies. Strategic foresight must also anticipate future wars of cognition and disruption, and therefore invest in space, AI, cyber-defense, electronic warfare, and robust intelligence networks. A Vision 2041 Defense Roadmap—similar to the country’s economic ambitions—can be conceived to outline clear stages of doctrinal, structural, and technological transformation of the armed forces.

2. Civil-Military Balance

Maintaining a healthy civil-military relationship is a pillar of stable democracies. In Bangladesh, this equilibrium is vital for both military effectiveness and democratic continuity. Civilian oversight must be institutional, not arbitrary. It should operate through competent and impartial bodies such as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense, an empowered Ministry of Defense, and constitutionally defined executive authority.

This oversight, however, must be exercised with restraint and respect for military autonomy. Civilian leaders should set policy, not micromanage operations or interfere in professional military matters. Politicization of the military—whether through selective promotions, intelligence manipulation, or use of forces in domestic political matters—poses a grave threat to military unity and morale. Once the officer corps is divided along ideological or political lines, the chain of command collapses and the institution risks long-term dysfunction.

 The military itself must foster internal mechanisms to remain apolitical, including clear codes of conduct, non-engagement in political discourse, and career progression based solely on merit and service record. Defense reforms should ensure that the armed forces remain loyal to the state, not to any government, leader, or ideology. Preserving this balance will allow the military to perform its constitutional role with honor, while also reinforcing civilian supremacy and democratic accountability.

3. Institutional Integrity and Transparency

For any defense system to remain credible and effective, integrity and transparency must be embedded within its structure. Bangladesh must initiate systemic reforms to counter corruption, favoritism, and inefficiency in defense administration. Large procurement projects, land allocations, and officer appointments must all follow rigorous vetting, open competition, and multilayered scrutiny. A centralized defense audit authority, reporting independently to the President or a parliamentary body, could be established to monitor financial and procedural compliance across all branches of the armed forces.

Procurement processes—especially for arms, equipment, and infrastructure—should be governed by a Defense Procurement Policy aligned with global standards, ensuring value for money, operational suitability, and long-term maintenance. Whistleblower protections and anonymous reporting channels must be institutionalized so that misconduct, abuse of power, or misuse of resources can be addressed without fear of reprisal. The Ministry of Defense and respective service headquarters should adopt a uniform code of ethics and conduct, updated regularly, and strictly enforced.

Reforms must also address the culture of entitlement or impunity that sometimes grows in hierarchical institutions, through regular leadership training on accountability, ethics, and civilian-military interface. A defense institution that is ethically grounded and transparent commands respect not only within the country but also among regional and global partners. This becomes especially critical as Bangladesh seeks to elevate its role in UN peacekeeping, regional cooperation, and defense diplomacy.

4. Legal and Constitutional Framework

Defense reforms in Bangladesh must be firmly anchored within the constitutional and legal framework of the state, ensuring that all actions taken are both lawful and democratically accountable. The Constitution of the People’s Republic of Bangladesh, particularly Articles 61–63, lays out the foundational role of the armed forces. Any deviation from these mandates—whether in domestic law enforcement, political crises, or development roles—must be guided by explicit legal instruments, not verbal instructions or executive discretion. Reforms should aim to clarify and codify the division of responsibilities between the military, civil administration, and law enforcement agencies. This includes rules for Aid to Civil Power (ACP), defining when, how, and under what conditions military forces can be deployed domestically.

The role of the armed forces in disaster response, infrastructure development, and peacekeeping must be formally integrated into law, with clear limitations, so that such engagements do not dilute the core warfighting capabilities of the military. Special care must be taken to ensure that military courts, detention facilities, and internal disciplinary measures are compliant with fundamental human rights and due process, especially in cases where civilians are indirectly affected by military operations. Oversight bodies, such as the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Defense, should be strengthened with legal authority to review defense policies, budget utilization, and strategic deployments, in coordination with the Ministry of Law and the judiciary if needed. In the long term, a comprehensive Defense Reforms Act could be considered—similar to those in countries like India, Indonesia, or the UK—to institutionalize checks, balances, and modernization under a single, structured legal framework.

5. Capacity Building

Modern defense capability is not solely measured by weaponry or troop numbers, but by the institutional depth, adaptability, and strategic flexibility of the armed forces. Bangladesh must adopt a multi-dimensional modernization strategy. This includes upgrading air and naval platforms, securing maritime domain awareness systems, and expanding armored and drone capabilities. Critical investment is required in cyber defense, space surveillance, and electronic warfare units, especially as threats move from the physical to the digital and cognitive spheres.

Bangladesh should prioritize the development of a domestic defense industry in partnership with the private sector, universities, and international collaborators. A Defense Industrial Policy must encourage innovation, R&D, and indigenous production of logistics support items, ammunition, small arms, and tactical communications systems. Equally vital is human capital development. The future battlefield will be led by intellectually agile, technologically savvy, and ethically grounded leaders. This demands a revamp of military education, with enhanced exposure to global doctrines, joint operations planning, and strategic simulation.

Military academies should collaborate with foreign institutions to host exchange programs, war games, and joint training exercises, preparing officers not only for warfare but also for diplomatic missions, peacekeeping, and inter-agency coordination. Investment in leadership training, language proficiency, staff college curricula, and professional ethics will ensure a modern officer corps capable of operating in complex, multi-domain environments. This capacity-building vision must be sustainable, not flashy—balancing operational readiness with fiscal responsibility.

6. Internal and External Threat Assessment

Any meaningful reform of Bangladesh’s defense architecture must be threat-informed and scenario-based, rather than assumption-driven or politically motivated. Bangladesh must maintain a robust strategic intelligence framework capable of continuously analyzing regional military developments, especially along the Myanmar border, in the Chittagong Hill Tracts, and across maritime boundaries.

With growing external interference in domestic affairs—from fake news and funding networks to foreign intelligence operations—counter-intelligence and information warfare capabilities must be elevated to national priority status.

Internally, the rise of radical extremism, organized crime, and ethnic insurgency calls for better civil-military coordination, joint task forces, and intelligence-sharing mechanisms among security forces. Environment-related security threats—such as cyclones, floods, and migration linked to climate change—should also be treated as core defense challenges. The armed forces must be equipped to handle large-scale humanitarian operations in increasingly frequent natural disasters. At the maritime front, Bangladesh must bolster its naval surveillance, deep-sea patrolling, and base security to safeguard its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), particularly given the discovery of offshore resources and regional maritime ambitions.

Cyber threats from state and non-state actors, including foreign intelligence services, are likely to increase. Hence, Bangladesh must invest in cyber hygiene, data sovereignty, and offensive cyber deterrence. In summary, threat assessments must be living documents, updated regularly through multi-agency collaboration, strategic foresight tools, and scenario-building exercises.

7. Stakeholder Engagement

Defense reform, by its very nature, must be national in scope, inclusive in process, and participatory in spirit. A top-down or secretive approach may produce short-term changes but will ultimately lack legitimacy and resilience. The Ministry of Defense must establish a multi-stakeholder consultative mechanism, where regular dialogue occurs among serving military officers, veterans, parliamentarians, academics, strategic analysts, and civil society organizations. Veterans possess not only battlefield experience but also institutional memory—an invaluable asset in shaping reform. Their voices can serve as a bridge between traditional practices and emerging needs.

Engaging policymakers ensures reforms are aligned with national interests, budget realities, and constitutional mandates. Inclusion of technocrats and professionals from the Ministry of Finance, Planning Commission, and Ministry of Foreign Affairs is equally important. Bangladesh’s emerging defense industry partners and local manufacturing stakeholders should be brought into the reform dialogue to discuss indigenous production, supply chain management, and technology transfer potential.

Civil society institutions and the media play a role in building public trust, enhancing transparency, and disseminating accurate information. Their constructive involvement helps counter disinformation and undue politicization. Partnerships with credible think tanks, universities, and defense research institutes can provide evidence-based analysis, scenario simulations, policy white papers, and independent evaluations—essential for informed decision-making. An Institutional Advisory Board on Defense Reform comprising representatives from these sectors can act as a permanent structure to guide, review, and advise on implementation.

8. Avoidance of Foreign Manipulation

In an increasingly interconnected world, no country can reform its defense architecture in isolation. However, engagement must not become entanglement. Bangladesh must tread cautiously in its international military cooperation to preserve sovereignty and operational independence. While military diplomacy through training exchanges, joint exercises, and technology acquisition is necessary for exposure and capability enhancement, it must be carefully regulated through government-to-government agreements and not left to foreign lobbying or private intermediaries. Foreign-funded projects or consultancies in strategic sectors must be vetted for national security implications, especially those that involve access to defense data, communications infrastructure, or command protocols.

Intelligence sharing arrangements or interoperability protocols with other nations must be reciprocal, limited in scope, and monitored by a national security council to avoid information leakage or embedded surveillance risks. Bangladesh must be particularly cautious about dual-use technologies, encrypted communications systems, or military-grade software/hardware that could create vulnerabilities to cyber-espionage or remote control. Foreign powers—whether regional or global—must not be allowed to dictate force deployments, influence promotion systems, or embed advisors within strategic military decision-making organs. Internal vigilance is also necessary. Attempts by foreign agents, NGOs, or contracted entities to shape defense narratives, public opinion, or policy outcomes should be treated as serious threats and addressed through a counter-influence strategy. The overarching principle must be: cooperation without compromise.

9. Phased and Adaptive Approach

Defense institutions are inherently conservative—and rightly so, given their mandate to protect continuity and stability. As such, reforms must be designed with a realistic, phased, and flexible timeline. A phased reform strategy enables the armed forces to absorb changes, test new systems, and adapt operationally without risking readiness or morale. Bangladesh should adopt a model of pilot projects—testing new doctrines, technology integration, or organizational changes in limited units or sectors before wider implementation.

A central Defense Reform Coordination Cell (DRCC) can be established within the Ministry of Defense to monitor timelines, identify bottlenecks, and report progress. Strategic simulations and war gaming can be used to evaluate reform proposals under various conflict scenarios—helping policymakers and commanders foresee unintended consequences or mission failures. A formal Mid-Term Review (MTR) and Post-Implementation Review (PIR) mechanism must be embedded into each reform phase, allowing lessons to be learned and applied iteratively.

Adaptive planning must also account for political transitions, global shifts, and economic downturns, ensuring that reforms can be paused, modified, or redirected without destabilizing the entire structure. Finally, the reforms must include a succession plan for leadership and institutional knowledge transfer, so that progress is not reversed with personnel changes. In this adaptive model, defense reform becomes a continuous journey, not a destination—a process that evolves with time, experience, and strategic necessity.

Conclusion

Defense reform is not simply about acquiring new weapons or restructuring command. It is about safeguarding sovereignty, enhancing operational efficiency, and ensuring that the armed forces of Bangladesh remain a pillar of national unity and stability. In an increasingly contested Indo-Pacific region, a strong, professional, and strategically autonomous military is not a luxury—it is a necessity.

But reform must be done wisely, not hastily. It must respect history, draw from global best practices, and above all, reflect the spirit of the nation it serves.