Indian army chief due Monday

Continuing with the "excellent" bilateral defence ties between Bangladesh and India, general Manoj Pande, the chief of army staff of India, has proceeded on a visit to Bangladesh from 18 July to 20, reports UNB.

This is the first foreign visit by general Manoj Pande since his assumption.

The army chief will commence his visit by paying tribute to the brave souls who sacrificed their lives during the liberation war in 1971 by placing a wreath at Shikha Anirban Monday.

During the day, Manoj Pande will have multiple meetings with senior officials of the security establishment and exchange views on defence-related issues, the Press Information Bureau of India (PIB) said Sunday.

He will also pay tribute to the Father of the Nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi. On the second day of his visit, the army chief will address the students and faculty of defence services command and staff college in Mirpur.

After that, he will visit and interact with the members of the Bangladesh institute of peace support and operation training, a premier institute in Bangladesh which trains peacekeepers for employment in various UN peace operations.

This will be followed by a visit to the Bangabandhu Military Museum in Mirpur.

The visit of Manoj Pande will further deepen the bilateral relationships between the two armies and act as a catalyst for closer coordination and cooperation between the two countries on a host of strategic issues, the PIB said.