Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi on Sunday reached Dhaka on a four-day official tour to consolidate bilateral defence relations and explore new avenues of naval cooperation.
The visit comes at a time when China is also trying to scale up its defence relations with Bangladesh. China is also building a dry naval dock which is designed to host submarines and warships in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was also in India on a state visit for two days from June 21.
Admiral Tripathi is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of the Naval Staff of Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, as also review the passing out parade scheduled at Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) at Chittagong on July 4, said an Indian Navy spokesperson.
During the visit, the CNS would also hold bilateral discussions with Chiefs of Bangladesh Army & Air Force, the Principal Staff Officer Armed Forces Division, and senior leadership of the Bangladesh Government, the spokesperson stated.
The CNS would also address participants at the National Defence College, Dhaka and visit a few key defence facilities.
Naval cooperation between India and Bangladesh has been traditionally strong, encompassing a wide span which includes operational interactions through port calls, bilateral naval exercises, along with capacity building, capability enhancement and training initiatives.
The visit of the CNS will further strengthen the strong bonds of friendship between the navies of both countries.
Meanwhile, Indian Naval Ship Ranvir, of the Eastern Naval Command fleet, has already arrived at Chattogram on Saturday, ahead of Admiral Tripathi’s visit to Bangladesh.
During the visit, personnel from the Indian and Bangladesh navies will engage in wide range of professional interactions including Subject Matter Expert Exchange (SMEE), cross-deck visits, community outreach and friendly sports fixtures aimed at further strengthening existing mutual cooperation and maritime linkages between both navies and nations, said the spokesperson.
On completion of harbour phase, INS Ranvir will participate in a Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX)/ PASSEX with ships of the Bangladesh Navy.
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