The cost of spares and maintenance has forced the armed forces command of Bangladesh to sell the eight MiG-29s, which it purchased only three years ago.
Having previously relied on older generation Chinese-built fighters such as the Chengdu F-7 (a MiG-21 copy), Shenyang F-6 (a copy of the MiG-19) and Nanchang A-5 (its ground attack derivative), all of which were also operated by Pakistan, acquisition of the MiG-29 marked a major leap forward for the Bangladesh air force.
Decision
Prime Minister Begum Haleda Zia, quoted in the leading Bangladeshi newspaper Dainik Dinkal said: "The decision to purchase the Russian airplanes for $124 million was an incorrect financial decision."
He denied there had been any fraudulent collusion between the former Bangladeshi government and the Russian suppliers, however, which had been the subject of frequent speculation in the Bangadeshi press.
Source: Flight Daily News
