Dhaka, New Delhi to enhance military ties

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The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata) | Frontpage | Army talks with Bangla

New Delhi, March 15: The Indian and Bangladeshi militaries are set to increase exchanges after the top brass from both sides met in Delhi during the Bangladesh army chief’s visit today and concluded that relations had improved vastly over the past three years.

An army source also said that talks with the visiting Bangladesh army chief, General Muhammad Abdul Mubeen, covered increased co-operation in dealing with insurgents who have been operating from camps near the border.

India’s effort to improve military relations with Bangladesh was stepped up since 2008. Part of the reason for the renewal of effort was a concern that Bangladesh’s military was intensifying its exchanges with China. Bangladesh holds war exercises with the Chinese military but not with India. But it deputes officers to attend courses in Indian military institutions.With the Sheikh Hasina-led Awami League government also helping India in dealing with Northeast-based insurgents, New Delhi is now eager that the militaries co-operate more.

General Mubeen is visiting India this week at the same time as the Indian Army is hosting a group of Bangladesh war veterans in north Bengal where the Indian Army had set up camps to train the mukti joddhas (freedom fighters) in the 1971 war that led to the creation of Bangladesh from erstwhile East Pakistan.

The Indian Air Force has offered the Bangladesh Biman Bahini (Bangladesh Air Force) use of its facilities to modernise and maintain fighter aircraft and helicopters.

The Indian Navy is also now considering refurbishing and repairing the Bangladesh Navy’s frigates.

“The visit assumes special significance in the light of improving military co-operation between the two countries in consonance with India’s growing relationship with Bangladesh,” a defence ministry statement said.

Like his predecessor in 2008, General Mubeen is meeting, apart from the service chiefs, defence minister A.K. Antony and national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon. He is slated to visit Calcutta on March 18 where he will be hosted by the Eastern Command headquarters in Fort William. Before that he will also visit the South Western Command in Jaipur.

General Mubeen is accompanied by his wife and four senior officers.

“The visit would further cement our defence relationship with Bangladesh and add impetus to our ongoing defence co-operation. Maintenance of enhanced military-to-military contacts with Bangladesh by Indian Army is mutually beneficial to the strategic interests of both,” the defence ministry statement said.

 

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Bangladesh, India eye stronger defence ties | Bangladesh | bdnews24.com

By bdnews24.com New Delhi correspondent

New Delhi, March 15 (bdnews24.com) – The Bangladesh and Indian army chiefs discussed greater defence cooperation during formal talks held in New Delhi on Monday.

Bangladesh army chief Gen. Md. Abdul Mubeen reached New Delhi on Sunday for a five-day tour at the invitation of his Indian counterpart Gen. Deepak Kapoor. It is Mubeen's first visit to India after taking over as army chief last year.

India's defence ministry officials termed the visit as "significant in the light of improving military cooperation between the two countries in consonance with India's growing relationship with Bangladesh".

Earlier in the day, Gen. Kapoor formally welcomed Gen. Mubeen during the Guard of Honour on the South Block Lawns in New Delhi. They later held talks.

A spokesman of the Indian defence ministry said the meeting between General Mubeen and General Kapoor focused on areas of future bilateral defence cooperation.

"Military-to-Military cooperation between Bangladesh and India encompasses exchange of high- and medium-level visits, availing of training courses in each other's institutions, witnessing of exercises by military observers from both sides, exchange of War Veterans and sharing experience in disaster management, sports and adventure activities," a press-release issued by the Ministry of Defence said.

During his stay in New Delhi, Gen. Mubeen will also meet the Indian defence minister AK Antony and National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon.

He is likely to visit important training establishments and field formations of the Indian Army. He will also travel to Jaipur, Ajmeer and Kolkata before returning to Dhaka.

Gen. Mubeen's visit to India comes just two months after chief of Indian Air Force Air Chief Marshal P V Naik had travelled to Bangladesh on a goodwill visit in January this year.

Mubeen is accompanied by his wife and senior officials of the Bangladesh Army.

 

[illuminatidinesh]

some people r not going to like this................

 

[Justin Joseph]

Dhaka, New Delhi to enhance military ties

Special Correspondent

Chief of the Army Staff of Bangladesh General Mohammad Abdul Mubeen, who arrived here on a six-day goodwill visit, on Monday met his Indian counterpart, General Deepak Kapoor, and discussed issues of bilateral and regional interest.

The visit, to last till March 20, assumes special significance in the light of improving military cooperation between the two countries in consonance with India's growing relationship with Bangladesh.

Although no details were available, India has security concerns, including insurgency in the northeast where infiltrators from across the border are involved, besides the issue of smuggling of arms, explosives and drugs, including supply through sea routes connected to Bangladesh. Action against terror organisations such as the Harkat-ul-Jehad-al Islami (HuJI) known to provide training to insurgent groups is also among the issues.
Multifaceted ties

India-Bangladesh relations are multifaceted and founded on historical linkages. The successful culmination of the recent visit of Bangladesh Prime Minister to India in January contributed significantly to the consolidation of the existing ties.

Military-to-military cooperation between the armed forces of Bangladesh and India encompasses exchange of high and medium-level visits, making use of courses in each other's training institutions, witnessing designed exercises by military observers from both sides, exchanging war veterans, sharing experience in disaster management, sports and adventure activities.

During the visit, Gen. Mubeen is scheduled to interact with the Defence Minister, the National Security Adviser, and members of the Indian Armed Forces hierarchy. In addition, he will visit Jaipur, Ajmer, Kolkata and important training establishments and field formations.

“The visit would further cement our defence relationship with Bangladesh and add impetus to our ongoing defence cooperation. Maintenance of enhanced military-to-military contacts with Bangladesh by the Indian Army is mutually beneficial to the strategic interests of both. The visit of Bangladesh COAS has a major significance in the burgeoning defence cooperation between both the friendly foreign countries,'' the Defence Ministry said in its release.

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