Online Desk :  Chief of the Naval Staff (CNS) of India Admiral Dinesh K Tripathi will pay a four-day official visit from July 1 to 4 aimed at consolidating bilateral defence relations between Bangladesh and India  and to explore new avenues for naval cooperation. The Indian Navy chief is scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with his counterpart Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy in Dhaka, and review the passing out parade scheduled at Bangladesh Naval Academy (BNA) at Chattogram on July 4. During the visit, he would also hold bilateral discussions with General Waker-Uz-Zaman (Chief of the Army Staff, Bangladesh Army), Air Marshal Hasan Mahmood Khan (Chief of the Air Staff, Bangladesh Air Force), Lt Gen Mizanur Rahman Shameem (Principal Staff Officer, Armed Forces Division) and senior leadership of the Bangladesh Government.

The Indian Navy Chief would also address participants at the National Defence College, Dhaka and visit a few key defence facilities, an Indian Navy statement said. This is Admiral Tripathi’s first official visit abroad after he took charge as the 26th Indian navy chief on April 30 this year. 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 statement added. The visit of the Chief of the Naval Staff, Indian Navy will further “strengthen the strong bonds of friendship” between the navies of both countries, it said.