Bangladesh has placed an order for 25 widebody aircraft from Boeing for Biman Bangladesh Airlines (BG, Dhaka) as part of a trade agreement with the United States, a top commerce ministry official has told Agence France Presse (AFP), even as European diplomats lobbied for a deal with Airbus.

"We made a commitment and ordered 25 widebodies, and we expect to receive the first one in 2029," Mahbubur Rahman, a senior official at the commerce ministry, told AFP. "It’s part of the tariff deal with the US."

Rahman said Dhaka was also evaluating offers from Airbus. "We have offers from Airbus as well, and an assessment is currently ongoing," he said.

The alleged Boeing order - which has not been formally confirmed - comes after Bangladesh struck a trade deal with the United States in August to reduce punitive tariffs imposed during the Trump administration, according to AFP.

ch-aviation has reached out to the airline and OEMs for comment.

Bangladesh’s state-run news agency BSS reported that Biman Bangladesh Airlines is still reviewing proposals from both manufacturers for the long-awaited procurement.

Airbus reportedly has offered ten A350 wide-bodies and four A320neo narrow-bodies, while Boeing has proposed ten B787s and four B737 MAX. Biman currently operates a fleet of 19 aircraft, 14 of which are Boeings (including four B737-800s, four B777-300ERs, four B787-8s, and two B787-9s).

European envoys attending talks in Dhaka this month sought to encourage Bangladesh to consider Airbus and ensure fair competition in the procurement process. At a November 4 event hosted by the French embassy, European Union Ambassador Michael Miller said Bangladesh had "tremendous potential in the aviation sector" and that the European Union (EU) wanted a "place at that table". Diplomats from France, Germany, and the United Kingdom also voiced support for Airbus and stressed transparency in the procurement review, reported the Daily Star.

Biman does not currently operate any Airbus aircraft. It retired the last of its six A310-300s by 2016. Besides the fourteen Boeing aircraft, it also operates five DHC-8-Q400s.

The airline’s managing director previously told Bangladesh's The Business Standard newspaper that leasing new aircraft was the only feasible option before 2031, given the long lead times for outright purchases.