US supports to enhance Bangladesh Armed Forces’ Professionalism

UsaNewsOnline.Com, Washington D.C. :  Bangladesh Ambassador to the USA Mohammad Ziauddin has praised Washington for its support to enhance Bangladesh armed forces’ professionalism now recognized as among the best in the world. Through the annual military to military dialogue, the Ambassador said, USA has been providing Bangladesh hardware assistance, capacity building, institution and leadership development and information sharing. The Bangladesh envoy made the remarks at a reception accorded to a 23-member delegation of Bangladesh National Defense College at Bangladesh Embassy in Washington D.C. Wednesday evening. Lt. Gen. Hasan Sarwardy, the Commandant of the NDC, led the delegation, which was on a study tour of the United States. Foreign envoys and senior civil and military officials from Department of State, Department of Defense and other US organizations attended the reception. Ambassador Ziauddin mentioned the US contribution to build a multi-purpose training facility at the institute of Peace Support Operation Training (BIPSOT) in Gazipur to increase Bangladesh’s capacity to train UN Peacekeepers in a more professional manner. Bangladesh government is keen to have this collaboration continuing and flourishing further in future. The Ambassador said Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina established the National Defense College in 1996 for promoting the concept of ‘security through knowledge”. Today, he said, the NDC is a premier national institute for training and research on defense, security, strategy and development for senior leaders in military and civil services in Bangladesh. On Dhaka-Washington bilateral relations, Ambassador Ziauddin said Bangladesh and the USA enjoy the best of relations marked by growing confidence, trust and cooperation. He said the bilateral relations are deepening and broadening because of the two-way effort based on mutual respect and non-interference in each other’s internal affairs. He said the desire to expand this cooperation is reflected in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s letter of congratulations, which was among the first to reach President Donald J Trump on his election as the 45th President of the United States. The Ambassador said USA has been one of Bangladesh’s major development partners and largest markets of exports as well as the largest source of investment. “Our relationship has also diversified to cooperation in health, education, global security, and particularly in countering terrorism and violent extremism,” he added. Lt. Gen. Sarwardy and Brig Gen. Shahinul Islam also spoke on the occasion. Brig. Gen. Mohammad Shamsuzzaman, Defence Attache at Bangladesh Embassy coordinated the visit program.