Indian Chief of Army Staff General Manoj Pande (R) with Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed during a meeting, in Dhaka, on June 5, 2023.
| Photo Credit: PTI

Indian Army chief Gen Manoj Pande on June 5 met his Bangladeshi counterpart General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed in Dhaka and discussed various aspects of mutual interest and explored ways to further expand bilateral defence and security ties.

Gen Pande, who arrived here earlier Monday on a two-day visit to Bangladesh — his second trip to the country as Army chief, also interacted with Lt Gen Waker-Uz-Zaman, the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed forces division.

The Indian Army chief visited Bangladesh in July last year on his first foreign visit after assuming charge of the top post.

“General Manoj Pande #COAS interacted with General SM Shafiuddin Ahmed, Chief of Army Staff, #BangladeshArmy & Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division, #Bangladesh and discussed aspects of mutual interest,” the Additional Directorate General of Public Information said in a tweet.

The Army chief also laid a wreath at Shikha Anirban and paid tributes to soldiers who laid down their lives for the Liberation of Bangladesh. He also received the Guard of Honour at Senakunja and planted a tree to commemorate the friendship between the two Armies.

On Tuesday, Gen Pande will be reviewing the Passing Out Parade (POP) of officer cadets of the 84th ‘Long Course’ at the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) in Chattogram.

During the parade, the Army Chief will be presenting the ‘Bangladesh India Friendship Trophy’ instituted for the best foreign cadet from friendly foreign countries of the passing out course from the BMA.

The first trophy this year is being awarded to officer cadet Everton of Tanzania.

This trophy is in reciprocation to the ‘Bangladesh Trophy and Medal’ instituted at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun in December 2021 for Best foreign cadet passing out the course, the Army said in a statement.

The Army chief will be reviewing the POP at IMA, Dehradun on June 10 and present the Bangladesh Medal and the trophy.

The Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff visited India in April this year and reviewed the passing out parade at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai.