Private company

Bangladesh Ordnance Factories

Logo: https://bof.gov.bd , https://bof.gov.bd/themes/responsive_npf/img/logo/bof.png, Non-free logo, via Wikipedia3

Bangladeshi defence company

Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) is the largest industrial supplier of the Bangladesh Army. Situated in Gazipur, it produces arms, ammunition, and equipment for the Bangladesh Armed Forces.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 21, 2026.

Overview

1970Founded1
Bangladesh Ordnance Factories, Gazipur, Bangladesh
Photo: Tanvir Rahat, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons5

Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF) is the largest industrial supplier of the Bangladesh Army. Situated in Gazipur, it produces arms, ammunition, and equipment for the Bangladesh Armed Forces.2

The story

The establishment of a rifle factory and small-arms ammunition plant for Pakistan Army began in 1968 with the technical and financial assistance of the People's Republic of China. The facility was inaugurated on 6 April 1970. Although it suffered considerable damage during the Bangladesh Liberation War in 1971, its capabilities have been restored and expanded since.

In 1982–1983, BMR (Balancing, Modernization, Replacement) works started which was completed in 1987. After the BMR, the yearly production target of the factory was determined to be 2500 rifles and 15 million ammunition per annum. Project on establishment of 'Automatic Assault Rifle BD-08' factory was under taken in 2004-2005 and it was successfully implemented in the year 2008.

In June 2021, a Turkey 105 mm and 155 mm artillery shell production line establishment agreement was signed between Bangladesh and Turkish company REPKON. With the modern Free Flowforming (REPKON patented) technology and computerized machinery from REPKON, BOF will produce high-quality 105 mm and 155 mm artillery shells. According to Uğur Cem Gürpınar, REPKON business development and corporate communications officer, "Bangladesh, like many friendly and allied countries, preferred REPKON because of its technology that is ahead of its competitors in the world". Bangladesh Army is currently using western standard 105 mm and 155 mm artilleries as well as Chinese 122 mm and 130 mm artilleries.

From Wikipedia’s article on Bangladesh Ordnance Factories, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Products and brands

  • firearm

Listed on Wikidata.1

Technology

Initially BOF was set up with technologies machines, equipment and support facilities from China, but gradually technology transfers from Austria, Australia, Belgium, Germany, Turkey, China & Italy were added. BOF now boasts a mix of conventional and state of the art computerized controlled processes/systems for manufacturing.

Factories

Bangladesh Ordnance Factories currently operates the following factories.

Small arms manufacturing factory

Small arms ammunition factory

Read the full text

Ball, tracer, blank and API ammunition for rifle, SMG, LMG and HMG manufacturing factory

Rifles manufacturing factory

Machine gun manufacturing factory

Grenade manufacturing factory

Artillery ammunition factory

Tools manufacturing plant

Products

The products of Bangladesh Ordnance Factory are different types of ammunition, artillery shells and infantry weapons. BOF is planning to produce a variety of artillery weapons, military hardware, precision weapons as well as developing and producing indigenous ordnance weapons and equipment.

Assault rifles

BD-08: BD-08 and BD-08 MK-II with optical sight. It is the current standard-issue rifle of the Bangladesh Army and also used by Border Guard Bangladesh and other forces. It is a Bangladeshi variant of the Chinese Type 81 assault rifle.

Type 56 assault rifle - Assembled locally. It is a Chinese variant of the Soviet-designed AK-47 (specifically Type 3) and AKM rifles. It is used by Bangladesh Armed Forces, Border Guard Bangladesh and other forces in a large quantity.

Semi-Automatic carbine

Type-56: Chinese variant of SKS. BOF produced Type 56 under license till 2006. It was previously the standard-issue rifle of the Bangladesh Army before the introduction of BD-08.

Machine guns

BD-15: Light machine gun (LMG) variant of BD-08 assault rifle.

Grenades

Arges 84 BD: Produced under license. Licensed version of Austrian ARGES Type HG-84.

Mortars

Mortar gun: At least one model under production but official details by BOF is not available. BOF tested their prototype 60 mm and 82 mm mortar guns before 2016.

Small arms

7.62×39mm Soviet/Russian

7.62×54mmR Soviet/Russian

7.62×51mm NATO

Artillery shells

105mm artillery shell

Mortar bombs

Mortar bombs: At least one model under production including fuze manufacturing but official details by BOF is available. BOF tested their prototype 60 mm and 82 mm mortar bombs before 2016.

Military explosives

TNT slab

From Wikipedia’s article on Bangladesh Ordnance Factories, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

  • Bangladesh Army

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. 1970Founded Founded1