Bangladesh became 25th among the top arms-importing countries for the 2018-2022 period. The country imported 0.9 per cent of arms traded globally during the period, according to a report released by Stockholm International Peace Research Institute on March 12.
The report also showed that the country’s arms imports decreased by 48 per cent, compared to imports done in the 2013-2017 period.
Bangladesh imported 1.6 per cent of arms traded globally between 2013 and 2017.
China becomes the top arms importing source for the country between 2018 and 2022 with 74 per cent of imports.
The United Kingdom and Turkey are the other major suppliers with 5.8 per cent and 4.5 per cent of the country’s imports in the past five years, added the report.
The SIPRI report highlighted that the volume of international transfers of major arms in 2018–22 was 5.1 per cent lower than in 2013–17 but 4.8 per cent higher than in 2008–12.
The five largest arms importers in 2018–22, India, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Australia and China, together received 36 per cent of the world’s arms imports.
The five largest arms exporters in 2018–22 were the United States, Russia, France, China and Germany. Together, they supplied 76 per cent of the world’s arms exports in 2018–22.
US arms exports accounted for 40 per cent of the global total in 2018–22 and were 14 per cent higher than in 2013–17.
French arms exports increased by 44 per cent between 2013–17 and 2018–22, while Russian (–31 per cent), Chinese (–23 per cent) and German (–35 per cent) arms exports decreased.
This NEWS originally published in Dhaka based News Paper The New Age.
