The commander-in-chief of the Lebanese army, RA Hosni Daher, has expressed his interest to procure military equipment from Bangladesh with a view to further strengthening the relation between the two countries.

The naval chief of the gulf country said this during a meeting with the Bangladesh delegation chief, Commodore M Nazmul Karim Kislu of the Bangladesh Navy, at the office of the Lebanese naval chief in Beirut yesterday.

During the meeting, the Lebanese naval chief also expressed his interest in sending Lebanese naval personnel for training at the Bangladesh naval academy.

RA Hosni Daher thanked the Bangladesh Navy for playing a vital role in ensuring the peace, stability and security of Lebanon through the deployment its naval force under the Bangladesh Contingent (Bancon-8) with the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNFIL).

After the call, RA Hosni Daher told The Independent that members of the Bangladesh Navy were ensuring Lebanon’s maritime security and also conducting anti-terror and rescue operations in the sea to help safeguard the country’s national security.

“We'll continue our relation with the Bangladesh Navy,” he said. Talking to this correspondent, Commodore Kislu said that he invited the Lebanese naval chief to visit Bangladesh.

“We have also urged the Lebanese naval chief to send navy

officers to the Bangladesh naval academy, where naval officers of different countries are taking training,” he added. During the call, Captain Hassan Dannaoui, Captain George’s Darazi, Captain Assad Abdullah, Captain Elias Kazi and Captain Hossam Chrysani of the Lebanese Navy were present. Commanding officer of (CO) BNS Ali Haider Captain ASM Afzalul Haque, Commander Nahian, Commander Shafique, Lt Commander Ehsan and Lt Commander Badiuzzaman of the Bangladesh Navy were also present.

Earlier, Commodore Mohammad Nazmul Karim Kislu paid a courtesy call on the MTF commander, Rear Admiral Sergio Fernando De Amaral Chaves Junior, aboard BNS Ali Haider. After the call, Commodore Mohammad Nazmul Karim Kislu told The Independent that they were always ready to work for peace. “I assured the MTF commander that we will be able to send more troops and ships to ensure peace in Lebanon, if needed in future,” he said.

Bangladeshi naval peacekeepers are working in Lebanon along with naval forces of Germany, Brazil, Greece, Indonesia and Turkey as ‘Pacis nautae’ (sailors of peace).

A total of 276 Bangladesh Navy personnel are deployed in two warships—Ali Haider and Nirmul—on the Mediterranean Sea as peacekeepers under the Bangladesh Contingent (Bancon-8) with the Maritime Task Force (MTF) of the United Nations Interim Force in the Lebanon  (UNFIL) for contributing to Lebanon’s peace and stability.

The MTF was deployed on the request of the Lebanese government within the mandate of the UN Security Council Resolution 1701 following the 2006 war. The deployment of the MTF was a landmark move that prompted Israel to lift its naval blockade of Lebanon.

Currently, the UNIFIL comprises almost 10,500 military personnel from 41 countries, including the Maritime Task Force, the only naval force in peacekeeping operations, and some 820 civilian national and international staff. At present, seven warships are operating with the naval forces of seven countries—Bangladesh, Brazil, Germany, Indonesia, Italy and Greece. Brazil currently leads the unified maritime commander task force.