Vice Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy visits WNC
Vice Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy visits WNC
Vice Admiral Muhammad Farid Habib, Chief of the Naval Staff, Bangladesh Navy accompanied by spouse and two staff members visited Mumbai on 03 and 04 November 2015. During the visit Vice Admiral M Farid Habib interacted with Vice Admiral SPS Cheema, the Flag Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Naval Command. Vice Admiral Habib acknowledged the role played by the Indian Armed Forces in liberation of Bangladesh. He said that the close cooperation between the two Navies is representation of these close historical ties. Navy to Navy cooperation among two countries and will further enhance the already existing strong diplomatic relations. He also thanked the Commander-in-Chief for the support rendered to Bangladesh Naval Ships during their visit to Mumbai.
Vice Admiral Habib, also interacted with other Senior Officers of the Western Naval Command and visited indigenously built guided missils distroyer, INS Kolkata and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya (earlier Prince of Wales museum). Bangladesh Navy Ships Ali Haider and Nirmul visited Mumbai from 21 to 23 May 2014. Bangladesh Navy Ship Somudra Joy is also expected to participate in the International Fleet Review - 2016 to be held at Visakhapatnam.
In addition to shared culture, geography and people to people contact, India and Bangladesh have come a long way towards nurturing a strategic relationship. Defence relationship between the two countries is gradually maturing into one of mutual trust and confidence. Bangladesh Navy Ships have been visiting Indian ports regularly and the two countries have several training exchanges between their armed forces.
Incidentally, Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India, had earlier handed over steering wheel of decommissioned Indian Naval Ship Vikrant, to the Her Excellency Sheikh Hasina, Prime Minister of Bangladesh, during his visit to Dhaka on 06 and 07 June 2015. INS Vikrant, was India’s first aircraft carrier and made its mark in India-Bangladesh history during the 1971 War of Liberation. It played a key role in the operations in Chittagong and Cox’s Bazar area.
