India Offers To Strengthen Capability Of Bangladesh Armed Forces

Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar during his two days visit has proposed a number of new initiatives to strengthen the capability of Bangladesh Armed Forces.

During the visit, which concluded Thursday, Indian Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar had wide-ranging discussions with the political and military leadership of Bangladesh to further strengthen the ties between the armed forces of both the countries.

The defence minister proposed a number of new initiatives to enhance the capacity and capability endeavours of the Bangladesh Armed Forces, The Daily Star reported today.

The discussion included initiatives for enhancing training engagements, joint exercises, Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) activities, and Blue Economy.

The minister offered training for Bangladesh Coast Guard personnel to enhance their capabilities and also assured continued support to the Armed Forces of Bangladesh in all endeavors. “Through a joint endeavour, the tomorrow of our nations will be better than today.” he added.

Parrikar also presented Hasina the airframe of an Allouette Helicopter. The helicopter was one of the three aircraft that formed part of “Kilo flight”, which was raised at Dimapur in 1971 with support of the Indian Air Force.

The helicopter was the first fighting formation of the nascent Bangladesh Air Force during the Liberation War.

The minister stressed the role of the Bangladeshi pilots who carried out multiple missions against all odds from these aircraft and accounted for destruction of a large number of enemy assets during the war.

The airframe, meant for display at the Liberation War Museum in Agargaon, was flown to Dhaka two days earlier.