Bangladesh, India sign MoUs on defence coop

Bangladesh and India have signed four memoranda of understanding (MoUs) to expand defence cooperation including purchase of equipments.

One MoU is to provide a framework for using India’s $500 million loan under line of credit offered last year, said sources in the Bangladesh high commission in New Delhi.

The matters were discussed at a meeting India’s defence secretary Sanjay Mitra held with a Bangladesh delegation headed by principal staff officer (PSO) of the Bangladesh Army Lt Gen Mahafuz Rahaman in New Delhi last week.

The meeting discussed how the loan money would be spent, what kind of defence purchase would be made, and how defence cooperation would be expanded, the sources said. Afterwards, a framework agreement was signed to utilise loan and implement procurement pledges.

If Bangladesh wants to purchase certain defence equipments and India produces those, sales and purchase would be made with consent from the both the sides.

The defence ministry of Bangladesh will provide a demand note to India which will check their availability.

The two countries signed such MoUs, during prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to New Delhi last year, for widening defence cooperation to bolster military supplies and technology transfer from India to Bangladesh.

The Bangladesh high commission sources also said it is not compulsory that the entire amount of $500 million should be spent in purchasing defence equipments from India. Such purchase can also be made from a third country taking India’s consent, the sources added.

Source: Prothom Alo