US in talks over selling military equipment to Bangladesh
The US is interested in selling military weapons to Bangladesh. The country has brought forward the issue to enhance interoperability and overall capacity.
Sale of military weapons was among the agendas of Lieutenant General Joel P Vowell, deputy commanding general, US Army Pacific, discussed during his two day visit to Bangladesh which started on 24 March.
The US Embassy in Dhaka said this in a press release on Wednesday. The Embassy also said Lieutenant General Joel P Vowell met with counterparts in the armed forces of Bangladesh during the visit.
In these meetings the lieutenant general reinforced the US Army’s commitment to a strong relationship with the Bangladesh Army. He also highlighted shared security interests and ongoing collaboration.
Recognition of the Bangladesh Army’s ongoing support to domestic security, particularly in light of other demands such as disaster response also came up in the meetings.
Besides, there were dialogues on Bangladesh’s primary military challenges and potential areas where the US can provide support.
Lieutenant General Vowell also discussed the upcoming military exercise “Tiger Lightning” to be held in summer of 2025.
Besides, potential acquisition of US-origin equipment to enhance interoperability and capabilities also came up in the discussions.
He also praised Bangladesh Army for its professionalism and stressed the importance of professional military forces in ensuring regional stability.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Army in a Facebook post said Lieutenant General Joel P Vowell paid a courtesy call on army chief General Waker-Uz-Zaman on 25 March.
They discussed several aspects of enhancing interoperability between the armed forces of Bangladesh and the US, it added.
Lieutenant General Joel P Vowell praised the professionalism and different activities of Bangladeshi army personnel deployed in Aid to Civil Power at the moment.
The US Lieutenant General also met Lieutenant General SM Kamrul Hassan, principal staff officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD) on the same day.
During the meeting, they discussed various avenues of bilateral defence relations between the Bangladesh Armed Forces and the US Army Pacific Command in the fields of training, exercise, and military cooperation, the AFD said in a tweet on its official X handle.