[🇧🇩-Land] Military Cooperation Between Bangladesh and Other Nations

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Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ed8ZwtLpqU&t=5s

A Video on Military Cooperation Between Bangladesh and Gambia Armed Forces.

 

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Bangladesh Army Officers Here to Share SL Experience | Sri Lanka Army

The latest news, images, videos, career information, and links from the Sri Lanka Army.

www.army.lk

Bangladesh Army Officers Here to Share SL Experience​

A HIGH-LEVEL MILITARY delegation from People’s Republic of Bangladesh, now in Sri Lanka met Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya Monday (22) afternoon at Army Headquarters.

The Bangladeshi delegation, aimed at further promoting bilateral relations and the bondage between the two friendly Armies, has also expressed their overwhelming willingness to share each other’s experience, particularly in the aftermath of Sri Lanka’s successful completion of the war for peace.

During the meeting with Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya at his office, Army Headquarters, the visiting two Majors General Mohammed Ehtesham Ul Haque and A.K.M. Zafrullah Siddiq received a brief account on the recently-concluded Wanni operations from the Commander of the Army Lieutenant General Jayasuriya. They also discussed matters of mutual relevance to both Armies who have been maintaining excellent relations since both countries gained independence. Towards the end of day’s interaction, the visiting Bangladesh Majors General presented a memento to Lieutenant General Jayasuriya who reciprocated as a token of goodwill. High Commissioner for Bangladesh in Sri Lanka was also associated with the meeting.

The eight-member delegation during their visit to the Army Headquarters also received a briefing from Major General Shavindra Silva, Director General Operations, Army Headquarters.

The Bangladeshi Army delegation is expected to visit Diyatalawa Sri Lanka Military Academy (SLMA), Security Forces Headquarters in Jaffna, Mullaitivu and Wanni during their stay in Sri Lanka.

The delegation comprises Major General Mohammed Ehtesham Ul Haque, Major General A.K.M. Zafrullah Siddiq, Brigadier General Ridwan-Al-Mahmood, Lieutenant Colonel Mohammad Asadullah Minhazul Alam, Lieutenant Colonel, M. Taufiqul Hasan Siddique, Major A.S.M. Bahauddin, Major M.D. Nazrul Islam Khan and Major M. Shakhawat Hossain Chowdhury.​

 

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Office of the Chief of Defence Staff

www.ocds.lk

NEW BANGLADESH DEFENCE ADVISOR MAKES FIRST COURTESY CALL ON CHIEF OF DEFENCE STAFF

In line with respected military traditions, the newly appointed Bangladesh Defence Advisor (DA) to Sri Lanka, Commodore M Moniruzzaman, (TAS), NGP, psc, BN paid his first official courtesy call on the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Shavendra Silva WWV RWP RSP VSV USP ndc psc MPhil at the Office of the Chief of Defence Staff (OCDS) yesterday (05 December 2023).

General Shavendra Silva warmly welcomed Commodore M Moniruzzaman, congratulating the new DA for his new milestone in the career. The CDS emphasized the importance of this appointment in setting the tone for continued strong military cooperation between the two nations by elaborating with the examples from his past experience in the diplomatic field. The CDS expressed his confidence that the DA's expertise and experience would prove invaluable in further strengthening the existing bonds of friendship and mutual respect. General Shavendra Silva further highlighted the existing mechanisms for cooperation, such as regular training exercises and knowledge exchange programmes, and emphasized the Bangladeshi DA's role in facilitating their success. General Shavendra Silva also didn’t forget to invite the new DA to explore the country and witness the beauty blended with the proud heritage of the nation during his tenure in the country.

Commodore M Moniruzzaman, in turn, acknowledged the immense respect Bangladesh holds for Sri Lanka's military prowess and expressed his desire to build upon this existing trust. Further, the new DA thanked the CDS for his much valued insights rich with the experience in the field. He also requested the continued assistance and guidance of General Shavendra Silva in discharging his future entrusted tasks. He also emphasized his commitment to working closely with his Sri Lankan counterparts to further solidify bilateral defence ties.

The CDS concluded the meeting by wishing the new DA success in his new role and reiterating Sri Lanka's unwavering commitment to working hand-in-hand with the Bangladesh Armed Forces for the betterment of both nations. The call on culminated with the exchange of mementoes.

 

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Some Bangladesh Sri Lanka military pics.

 

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Bangladesh, Maldives deepen cooperation on Indian Ocean security | Indo-Pacific Defense Forum

Bangladesh and the Maldives agreed in late December 2021 to expand security cooperation to ensure pe

ipdefenseforum.com

Bangladesh, Maldives deepen cooperation on Indian Ocean security​

Bangladesh and the Maldives agreed in late December 2021 to expand security cooperation to ensure peace and stability in the Indian Ocean region, weeks after the nations participated in maritime exercises with like-minded military partners, including the United States.

In a statement, the two nations’ leaders highlighted “the importance of working together bilaterally, regionally and internationally in combating the rising menace of terrorism, violent extremism and radicalization.” Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and Maldivian President Ibrahim Mohamed Solih also agreed to counter threats such as piracy, human and narcotics trafficking and organized crime through regional and multilateral organizations, including the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), of which both are members.

During Hasina’s six-day visit to the Maldives, the leaders pledged to work toward “greater maritime safety and security” in the region, and Solih thanked Hasina for Bangladesh’s gift of 13 military vehicles and for the deployment of Bangladesh Armed Forces medical teams to the island republic during the pandemic. Such high-level engagements solidify the bilateral relationship and boost collaboration, Solih said during a banquet honoring Hasina, the Maldivian news website Sun Online reported December 24.

Half of the world’s container ship traffic and two-thirds of global oil shipments traverse the Indian Ocean, according to the IORA, which was founded in 1997 and now has 23 member states with a total population of about 2.7 billion.

Encompassing almost 70 million square kilometers from Africa to the Indo-Pacific, the maritime region faces multiple challenges, from armed robberies at sea to illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. Climate change and consequent rising sea levels, meanwhile, pose an existential threat to low-lying nations such as Bangladesh and the Maldives.

Hasina and Solih “noted the need to promote sustainable governance of the ocean and environmental resources,” and they agreed to step up joint efforts on climate change adaptation and disaster management, according to their statement.

“I am happy to share that we just held a very fruitful discussion on the entire spectrum of our bilateral relations,” Hasina said, according to The Daily Star newspaper in Bangladesh.

Hasina’s trip to the Maldives came the same month that the Bangladesh Navy concluded nine days of virtual, in-person and at-sea engagements with the U.S. Navy as part of the 27th annual Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) series. Aircraft and ships from both navies conducted exercises in the Bay of Bengal, focusing on areas including replenishment-at-sea, search and rescue and surface warfare, according to a U.S. Pacific Fleet news release. (Pictured: The Bangladesh Navy patrol frigate BNS Somudra Avijan, foreground, and the U.S. Navy littoral combat ship USS Tulsa conduct a replenishment-at-sea exercise during Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training in the Bay of Bengal in December 2021.)

“I am confident that this visit of USS Tulsa, including performing exercises with the Bangladesh Navy at sea, is a milestone in enhancing the relationship between our navies in greater mutual maritime cooperation,” said Capt. A.N.M. Ishtiaq Jahan Farouqee, commanding officer of the Bangladesh Navy guided-missile frigate BNS Bangabandhu, according to the news release.

“As maritime nations with a shared vision for a Free and Open Indo-Pacific, we used CARAT to contribute to regional maritime security by enhancing our ability to work side-by-side at sea as well as in the planning process,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Tom Ogden, commodore of Destroyer Squadron 7.

 

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Minister discusses military cooperation between Maldives and Bangladesh

Maldives News Leader

avas.mv

Minister discusses military cooperation between Maldives and Bangladesh​

Minister of Defence Mariya Didi met with Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed on Tuesday.

The Defense Ministry said discussions focused on ways to further boost cooperation between MNDF and Bangladesh Army, including the provision of capacity-building and training opportunities for MNDF officers in various fields.

The discussions were met with a very positive response from General Shafiuddin who reassured that the Bangladesh Army would continue its special partnership and cooperation with MNDF.

Minister Mariya thanked General Shafiuddin and his delegation for the visit.

The Minister was joined by Military Secretary BG Abdul Matheen Ahmed, DIDC’s Principal Director LTC Ahmed Shareef and LTC Hassan Bushry.

 

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Bangladesh stepping up defense ties with Turkey

After buying $60M worth of weapons from Ankara this year, both countries' air, navy chiefs agree to enhance defense ties - Anadolu Ajansı

www.aa.com.tr

Bangladesh stepping up defense ties with Turkey​

After buying $60M worth of weapons from Ankara this year, both countries' air, navy chiefs agree to enhance defense ties​

SM Najmus Sakib |21.06.2021 - Update : 23.06.2021
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FILE PHOTO

DHAKA, Bangladesh

Relations between Bangladesh and Turkey have reached a new high, with the two countries particularly stepping up defense exchanges.

Bangladesh has become the fourth-largest arms buyer from Turkey, reportedly receiving up to $60 million worth of weapons out of Turkey’s roughly $1 billion in defense products exports in the first four months of 2021.

Turkey appears to be fostering closer relations with Bangladesh through its Asia Anew initiative, turning its attention to countries including Bangladesh, a country with a $4.45 billion military budget allocation for the fiscal year 2021-22.

Roketsan, a major Turkish weapons manufacturer and defense contractor, delivered the first batch of the TRG-300 Kaplan missile system with a range of 300 kilometers (186 miles) to Bangladesh in June, according to reports from Defense Technology of Bangladesh-DTB.

Meanwhile, 41 members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces participated in a training in Turkey on the Tiger MLRS (c) delivered by Ankara and returned in the first week of June this year, according to the Inter Service Public Relations (ISPR), the media wing of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, and other official sources.

Bangladesh diversifying its defense equipment

Bangladesh Ordnance Factories (BOF), the defense hardware manufacturer for the Bangladesh Armed Forces, has taken up a project to manufacture air defense and anti-tank missiles for the first time to strengthen its capacity and meet Forces Goal 2030, according to the Bangladesh Defense Analyst website, which is owned and published by Defseca, the country’s largest military, security and intelligence portal.

Work on the initiative started in 2016 with help from China but did not make headway until 2021, when defense and international experts observed other countries can now join and help resume the initiative.

Defense expert and security analyst Brig. Gen. (retired) M. Sakhawat Hossain told Anadolu Agency that Turkey has offered to sell defense equipment to Bangladesh and the government is considering fresh procurements from Turkey, including missiles and plans for producing a joint venture aircraft.

Earlier, Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu during a visit to Bangladesh expressed Ankara's keenness to enhance defense cooperation with Dhaka and engage in “joint production and technology transfer.”

“Bangladesh is surely discussing and considering the Turkish foreign minister’s proposal for defense procurement, but those are internal issues and cannot come into the public domain until an agreement is signed,” said Hossain.

Shahab Enam Khan, a professor of international relations at Jahangirnagar University, told Anadolu Agency that Turkey and Bangladesh are “natural friends” and that they should have strategic relations.

“Modernization of the Turkish Armed Forces and defense industries certainly deserves attention, which can be beneficial for Bangladeshi armed forces’ modernization plan because it seeks to diversify defense capability,” he noted.

“We must remember that the ‘great power game’ is also unfolding in the country’s neighborhood and the defense relationship between Bangladesh and Turkey will certainly help maintain greater peace and stability in this region,” said Khan.

Bangladesh’s economic growth is attracting increasing interest from countries such as Turkey, which is looking to sell products and invest in the country while also strengthening bilateral ties.

“Bangladesh’s economic growth is the most sustainable and stable in the region, which has significantly increased the geopolitical importance over the past decade,” he said.

The country also wants the stable Middle East, which is a shared interest between the two countries, as remittances, Bangladesh's second-largest source of foreign reserves, largely originate from there, according to these analysts.

Cooperation between armed forces

On June 16, the Bangladesh Navy awarded the country’s state-owned defense contractor Khulna Shipyard a contract to build three diving support boats for its operational needs based on a modern Turkish design

In addition, Bangladesh Chief of Naval Staff Adm. M. Shaheen Iqbal led a delegation to Turkey from May 27 to June 4 this year, while days before his retirement, then-Air Chief Marshal Masihuzzaman Serniabat led a visit from April 19 to April 25, in response to invitations from his Turkish counterpart.

During meetings with Turkey’s air and navy forces’ officials and Defense Industry President Ismail Demir, matters such as training between the two countries, shipbuilding, and enhancing mutual cooperation in cybersecurity were discussed, according to the director of the ISPR.

ISPR Director Lt. Col. Abdullah Ibn Zaid noted that the visit is expected to play a vital role in strengthening their cordial relationship by broadening the scope of mutual cooperation in professional sectors.

Sikder Bodiruzzaman, director general of Foreign Ministry's Eastern Europe and CIS sub-division, mentioned Turkish support in repairing a Bangladeshi naval ship damaged in a blast in Beirut, Lebanon, in August last year as an example of strengthening defense ties.

He told Anadolu Agency that trade and defense relationships have grown stronger and more frequent.

A delegation from Bangladesh is scheduled to visit Turkey next month with the goal of enhancing ties and overall trade relations between the two countries to $2 billion from the current level of around $1 billion.​

 

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South korea wants to sell jet fighters and self-propelled howitzers to Bangladesh.