Navy Chief Admiral Dinesh K. Tripathi began a five-day visit to Bangladesh on June 30 with an aim to consolidate the bilateral defence engagement and explore new avenues of cooperation in the maritime domain.
The trip comes more than a week after Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina visited India during which both sides vowed to expand the overall defence and strategic ties.
It is Admiral Tripathi's first official visit abroad after he took the reins of the Navy two months ago.
The Navy chief is scheduled to hold wide-ranging talks with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Admiral M. Nazmul Hassan, and other top officials of Bangladesh's military, including the Army chief and Air Force chief.
Admiral Tripathi will also review the passing-out parade at the Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) in Chittagong on July 4.
The Chief of Naval Staff's engagements in the neighbouring country include an address at Bangladesh's National Defence College in Dhaka and visits to a few key defence facilities.
"The visit is aimed to consolidate bilateral defence relations between India and Bangladesh and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation," the Indian Navy said in a statement.
Strong naval ties
Naval cooperation between India and Bangladesh has been traditionally strong, encompassing a wide span including operational interactions, bilateral naval exercises and capacity-building programmes.
"The visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy will further strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the navies of both countries," the statement said.
Bangladesh has been an important partner under India's Neighbourhood First policy. It is clearly visible in both the defence and maritime domains.
The maritime cooperation between the two countries has grown from strength to strength in recent years, with a significant ramp-up on joint efforts towards protection of maritime interests.
The visit of the Navy chief is an affirmation of the positive trajectory of the naval relationship as well as an indication that both sides will significantly enhance their bilateral efforts at sea, a military planner said on the condition of anonymity.
A military official said the cooperation between the two navies has regularly catalysed positive change in the Indian Ocean region.
IONS exercise
A few years ago, when Bangladesh held the chairmanship of the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium (IONS), the two countries had collaborated to organise the maiden IONS maritime exercise, he said.
This exercise has continued to grow in size and scope ever since, and become a source of formalised standard operating procedures (SOPs), sharing of best practices and a means to enhance collective trust and interoperability, the official added.
In 2025, the Indian Navy would take over the chairmanship of IONS and take the lead in establishing higher levels of maritime safety and security within the Indian Ocean, he said.
Published - July 01, 2024 09:19 am IST
