"I Will Not Forget" Trump to Tarique
President Donald Trump’s letter to Prime Minister Tarique Rahman has added a significant new piece to the confusion over Bangladesh’s Boeing purchases. Trump thanked Tarique for his decision to purchase Boeing aircraft, after US envoy Sergio Gor said Trump and Tarique had reached “another” deal under which Bangladesh would spend billions of dollars on more Boeing aircraft, while statements from different ministries in Dhaka have offered no single account of what was agreed.
In a Nutshell:
- In his letter to Tarique on Monday, Trump thanked the Prime Minister for his decision to purchase Boeing aircraft and said he looked forward to meeting him soon, directly linking the US President to a Boeing purchase decision involving the Bangladesh government.
- The letter came after Gor said on 30 August that Trump and Tarique had reached “another” deal in which Bangladesh would spend “billions of dollars” on more Boeing aircraft and significantly increase its initial order.
- When asked about the reported deal on 31 August, Civil Aviation Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat said Bangladesh was buying 14 Boeing aircraft, leasing additional aircraft and buying Airbus planes, but did not say there was no further Boeing purchase.
- On 1 September, Foreign Affairs State Minister Humaiun Kobir said Bangladesh would buy additional aircraft according to the needs of its aviation sector and rejected the idea that Washington was pressuring Dhaka, but he did not clarify whether those purchases were covered by a new deal.
- State Minister Shama Obaed had said Gor may have been referring to the earlier agreement, while the Civil Aviation Ministry said no separate agreement had been signed.
- That earlier agreement was signed by Biman on 30 April for 14 Boeing aircraft worth about $3.7 billion, after Bangladesh had discussed increasing its planned Boeing purchase from 14 to 25 during US tariff negotiations in 2025.
Context
The confusion over the latest Boeing commitment comes from a procurement plan that has already changed during Bangladesh’s negotiations with Washington. The country initially planned to buy 14 Boeing aircraft, then raised the proposed figure to 25 in 2025 as part of efforts to ease US tariff pressure. That larger figure did not become the final contract amount, as there was an additional commitment to buy more if the scope warranted it. At the same time, Bangladesh has been considering Airbus aircraft and leasing more planes as part of a broader plan to expand Biman’s fleet and open new routes. Gor’s statement, therefore, mattered because he was not describing the existing 14 aircraft order. His use of “another” deal and his reference to billions of dollars in additional Boeing purchases suggested that the order had been expanded again. Trump’s letter now establishes that he and Tarique had discussed a Boeing purchase, although it does not specify the number or value of any additional aircraft. This makes the differing statements from Dhaka more significant, particularly because the Civil Aviation Ministry and the Foreign Ministry have not provided the same explanation of what Gor was referring to.
Why it matters
The Boeing question is tied to a much larger financial and strategic decision over the future size of Biman’s fleet. The existing 14-aircraft order is already worth about $3.7 billion, while further Boeing purchases would accompany planned Airbus purchases and aircraft leases. Without a clear account of the additional commitment, the public cannot tell whether Bangladesh is looking at a modest expansion beyond the April contract or a much larger procurement programme.
What we think
Bangladesh’s fleet expansion is not simply a choice between Boeing and Airbus. But the Boeing purchases carry a clear diplomatic and political dimension. The civil aviation minister said the US had asked Bangladesh to use Boeing aircraft, while the proposed expansion of the order had previously featured in tariff discussions with Washington. This is a clear indication that the BNP government, in this case, is leaning towards Washington, while in other areas, such as education, it is leaning towards the East. It’s a good, balanced diplomatic approach and exactly how the second government after the post-uprising era should work. From an editorial standpoint, we are loving this era of balance. #aviationdiplomacy