The Chief of Army Staff of the Indian Army General Bipin Rawat will arrive in Dhaka on a two-day visit, his maiden visit to the country, on March 31 at the invitation of his Bangladesh counterpart General Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq. General Bipin Rawat, leading a 7-member high-powered delegation including a major general, will reach Dhaka on March 31 morning, sources in the foreign ministry said.
He is coming to Bangladesh at a time when the two friendly countries are likely to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Defence Cooperation Framework, likely to be inked during Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s India visit on April 7-10. Sources said, the authorities concerned have prepared a draft of a MoU on defence cooperation with India involving defence industries, space technology, technical assistance and development of sea infrastructure.
During his visit, Gen Rawat will make courtesy calls on President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and hold meetings with the chiefs of the three services to further cement the military relations and cooperation between Bangladesh and India. He is scheduled to leave Dhaka for home on April 2.
General Bipin Rawat, a Gurkha officer, became the chief of the 1.3 million strong Indian army on December 31 last year. He is the 27th chief of army staff of Indian Army.