State Minister for Foreign Affairs Humaiun Kobir today dismissed suggestions of any hidden agenda behind Biman Bangladesh Airlines' latest Boeing deal, saying fleet expansion is driven by the country's aviation needs.

"We need to expand the fleet to become an aviation hub. There is nothing... there is no hidden agenda. Bangladesh does it on the basis of needs. We need to expand our fleet," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Kobir also emphasised the importance of maintaining a mixed fleet in the interest of the country's aviation sector as Bangladesh seeks to expand air connectivity and position itself as a regional aviation hub.

Secretary (Intergovernmental Organizations) M Forhadul Islam and Additional Foreign Secretary (Public Diplomacy and Other Priority Matters) AKM Shahidul Karim were present at the briefing.

The state minister's remarks came days after national flag carrier Biman signed a supplementary agreement with US aircraft manufacturer Boeing for 11 additional aircraft during Prime Minister Tarique Rahman's visit to New York for the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA).

The latest order comprises five Boeing 787-10 Dreamliners and six 737-8 aircraft, taking Biman's Boeing orders this year to 25 aircraft.

Biman Board Chairman Rumee A Hossain and Boeing Senior Vice President of Commercial Sales and Marketing Brad McMullen signed the agreement on behalf of their respective organisations on the sidelines of the UNGA.

Boeing said the additional aircraft would provide greater efficiency, versatility and reliability as Biman modernises its fleet and expands its international network.

"These additional 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX airplanes will deliver the efficiency, versatility and reliability Biman needs to support Bangladesh's growing role in global aviation," McMullen said.

Boeing said the 787-10 would provide additional capacity to complement Biman's existing 787-8 and 787-9 aircraft, while the 737-8 would offer greater range for the carrier's single-aisle network.

The manufacturer said the 787 Dreamliner and 737 MAX families provide 20 to 25 percent better fuel efficiency compared with the aircraft they replace.

Biman Chairman Hossain said the supplementary agreement formed part of the flag carrier's long-term fleet modernisation and network expansion strategy.

"This order has been placed in line with the specific requirements of our fleet plan. Our longstanding, effective and mutually cooperative relationship with Boeing has given us confidence in aircraft delivery and subsequent support arrangements," he said.

The latest agreement follows Biman's April 30 order for 14 Boeing aircraft comprising eight 787-10 Dreamliners, two 787-9 Dreamliners and four 737-8 aircraft.

That agreement was valued at approximately US$3.7 billion at list prices.

Combined with the latest purchase, Biman's Boeing acquisition programme this year comprises 13 Boeing 787-10s, two 787-9s and 10 Boeing 737-8s.

Civil Aviation and Tourism Minister M Rashiduzzaman Millat, State Minister Humaiun Kobir, Invest Bangladesh Authority Chairman Chowdhury Ashik Mahmud Bin Harun and Prime Minister's Adviser Mahdi Amin attended the New York signing ceremony.

US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and US Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau were also present.

US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen had welcomed the agreement shortly before the signing, describing it as another "win-win" for Bangladesh-US relations.