Parrikar to be first Indian Defence Minister to visit B’desh

28 November, New Delhi

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar will be on a two-day visit to Bangladesh, which will be the first ever defence ministerial level trip to the neighbouring country since its inception after the 1971 War.

Parrikar will reach Dhaka on November 30 to hold bilateral talks with Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who is also taking care of the Defence Minister’s portfolio.

The landmark visit by Mr Parrikar is taking place in the backdrop of handing over of two conventional submarine to Bangladesh last fortnight, a development indicative of increasing footprints of Beijing in India’s immediate neighbourhood, especially in the Indian Ocean Region, which is an area of domination of the Indian Army.

”The Defence Minister, apart from holding talks with Bangladeshi Prime Minister, will also call on President Abdul Hamid and security advisor to the Prime Minister Major General (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddiqui,” officials in the Defence Ministry told UNI.

During the visit, Mr Parrikar will also travel to Chittagong to visit the Bangladesh Military Academy.

The Defence Minister is visiting Dhaka just ahead of Ms Hasina’s visit to New Delhi in December, during which a defence cooperation agreement is likely to be inked.