Dhaka, Aug 29 (PTI) Bangladesh on Tuesday acknowledged India’s continued support in training its armed forces, as the military services of the two countries held their third Tri-Service Staff Talks (TSST) here.
The TSST was co-chaired by Bangladesh Armed Forced Division's operations and planning directorate chief Brigadier General Hussain Muhammad Mashiur Rahman and Air Vice Marshal Ashish Vohra of India.
“The continued Indian support for training the armed forces of Bangladesh is very clear,” Bangladesh’s defence ministry said in a statement after the TSST.
The statement said many Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force personnel are trained in different Indian institutions and Bangladesh, as well, hosts training for India’s armed forces personnel every year while both the armed forces work together at different levels in UN peacekeeping missions.
“In recent years (Bangladesh’s) military and security-related links with India witnessed a notable progress, reaching the bilateral cooperation and friendship to a new height,” it said.
The third TSST was held two days after the two countries held their fifth defence dialogue in Bangladesh's capital.
Dhaka hosted the first TSST in 2021 while the second one was held in India in 2022. Officials familiar with the TSST said the dialogue mainly focused on military cooperation, training and bilateral defence issues.
According to the statement after the talks Vohra called on Bangladesh Armed Forces’ Division’s Principal Staff Office Lieutenant General Waker-Uz-Zaman, who on August 27 led Dhaka in the fifth defence dialogue when the Indian side was led by Defence Secretary Giridhar Aramane.
It said relations between the military, Navy and Air Forces of the two countries were very close and the foundation of the bond was created during Bangladesh’s 1971 Liberation War, crucially backed by India.