General Manoj Pande, the Chief of the Army Staff (COAS), has embarked on a two-day visit to Bangladesh from June 5th to 6th, 2023. The purpose of the visit is to strengthen the defense relations between India and Bangladesh. During his stay, General Pande will hold meetings with senior military officials in Bangladesh to explore opportunities for further enhancing bilateral defense cooperation.
On June 6th, the COAS will attend the Passing Out Parade (POP) of the 84th Long Course at the Bangladesh Military Academy (BMA) in Chattogram. During the parade, he will present the ‘Bangladesh India Friendship Trophy’ to the Best Foreign Cadet (from Friendly Foreign Countries) of the Passing Out Course from BMA. This year, the trophy will be awarded to Officer Cadet Everton of Tanzania. The trophy is a reciprocal gesture to the ‘Bangladesh Trophy and Medal’ instituted at the Indian Military Academy (IMA), Dehradun in December 2021 for the Best Foreign Cadet of the Passing Out Course. It is worth noting that General Pande will also review the POP at IMA, Dehradun on June 10th, 2023, and present the Bangladesh Medal & Trophy.
In addition to the Passing Out Parade, the Army Chief will engage in formal interactions with the Chief of Army Staff of the Bangladesh Army and the Principal Staff Officer of the Armed Forces Division. He will also receive briefings from senior Bangladesh military officers on bilateral cooperation matters.
This visit follows the COAS’s previous visit to Bangladesh in July 2022, which was his first foreign visit after assuming the role of Army Chief. In April of this year, the Chief of Army Staff of Bangladesh visited India and reviewed the Passing Out Parade at the Officers Training Academy in Chennai. These frequent visits by senior military leaders and the participation in joint military exercises contribute to strengthening the military-to-military relations between India and Bangladesh.