Bangladesh is looking to buy Chinese J-10CE fighter jets and attack helicopters after being impressed by their performance in the four-day war between India and Pakistan.Zahed Ur Rahman, an advisor to the prime minister, said on Tuesday that a government panel was preparing a draft purchase agreement to pitch to Beijing.In addition to the fourth-generation multirole combat aircraft, the Bangladesh Air Force is seeking to buy VIP transport helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicle systems from China.The defence procurement plan is aimed at modernising the air force and bolstering the country’s military muscle. Speaking at a press conference, Mr Rahman said Dhaka had taken note of the strong performance of Chinese aircraft during a conflict in the neighbourhood. He was referring to the brief May 2025 war that saw Chinese warplanes, including the J-10CE, flown by Pakistan get the better of the Indian Air Force. The Pakistan Air Force shot down multiple Indian warplanes with Chinese-made missiles fired from Chinese-made aircraft. India later acknowledged these losses, but did not clarify the number or nature of the downed aircraft. A Bangladesh Air Force aerobatic display team performs during Victory Day celebrations in Dhaka (AFP/Getty)The aircraft for the Bangladesh Air Force would be acquired in the current fiscal year if funds were allocated in the budget, Mr Rahman said. If not, he added, the purchases would be done in the next budget cycle.It wasn’t immediately clear how many aircraft Dhaka planned to take. Mr Rahman also didn’t disclose the value of the proposed deal or a delivery timeline, adding that such details would be determined in the course of negotiations with the Chinese side.The draft acquisition agreement was prepared after preliminary negotiation meetings and sent to the Armed Forces Division and relevant ministries for formal review and administrative approval, he said.Pakistan is so far the only ​confirmed foreign operator ​of the J-10CE, the ⁠export variant of the J-10C.China has supplied naval vessels, ⁠combat ​aircraft, tanks, and missile systems to Bangladesh ​over the past two decades, making Beijing the largest source of ​military hardware for the South Asian nation.