The home minister said on Monday that establishing a dedicated aviation unit for the country's police force was not feasible at present, citing poor maintenance standards and operational shortfalls across existing law enforcement aircraft.

Speaking at a senior police officers' gathering during 'Police Week 2026' at the Prime Minister's Office in Dhaka, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the priority must be to strengthen current capabilities before any new unit could be considered.

"If any agency needs a helicopter only for prestige, that is a different matter. But first we must ensure real operational capability," he said.

Ahmed said two helicopters procured from Russia during the previous Awami League government had yet to be delivered, held up by international sanctions and financial transaction complications.

"Clearance from the concerned country has already been obtained, and the helicopters may be delivered soon," he said, adding that army assistance would likely be needed for maintenance once the aircraft arrived.

Referring to the existing helicopter operated by the elite force, the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), the home minister said its maintenance condition was not satisfactory—noting he had personally felt uncomfortable boarding it during a visit to Rajshahi. Of two Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) helicopters, he said one was perpetually under maintenance while the other was non-operational.

However, the minister did not rule out a dedicated police aviation unit in the longer term, saying the government could revisit the idea once the force demonstrated sufficient technical and operational capacity.

Bangladesh Police currently has no aircraft of its own.