Dhaka – United States Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen T. Koehler praised Bangladesh’s contribution to global peacekeeping during a meeting with Prime Minister Tarique Rahman on Tuesday.
Admiral Koehler, who arrived in Dhaka on Tuesday for a three-day visit, paid a courtesy call on the premier at the Bangladesh Secretariat.
Humanitarian assistance, disaster management, bilateral naval cooperation, and ways to further strengthen Bangladesh‑US relations were among the key issues discussed during the meeting, said Shahadat Shadhin, the Prime Minister’s Deputy Press Secretary.
The Prime Minister recalled the US‑led “Operation Sea Angels,” launched following the devastating cyclone that struck Bangladesh in 1991, which left hundreds of thousands of people along the coast.
Admiral Koehler highlighted Bangladesh’s participation in various naval exercises and confirmed that the next Cooperation Afloat Readiness and Training (CARAT) exercise will be held in Bangladesh in November, according to the state‑run Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency.
He also referred to Bangladesh’s participation in the “Sea Vision Exercise” in Singapore and expressed hope that Bangladesh would regularly take part in the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise and other training programmes in the future.
The meeting also reviewed progress and mutual understanding regarding the General Security of Military Information Agreement (GSOMIA) between Bangladesh and the United States.
GSOMIA is a bilateral agreement that enables the two countries to securely share, handle, and protect classified military intelligence.
The Bangladesh side reaffirmed that it attaches great importance to its relations with the United States and expressed interest in further deepening bilateral ties through broader and more contemporary cooperation, the Deputy Press Secretary added.
Admiral Koehler said Bangladesh and the United States have ample opportunities to work together and voiced optimism that relations between the two countries would continue to grow stronger.
“Bangladesh has always stood for peace across the world,” the Prime Minister was quoted as saying.
Prime Minister’s Foreign Affairs Adviser Humayun Kabir, Defence Adviser Brigadier General (Retd.) A.K.M. Shamsul Islam, US Ambassador to Bangladesh Brent T. Christensen, Bangladesh Ambassador to the United States Tareq Md. Ariful Islam, Director General of the North America Wing at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and other senior officials were present during the meeting.
During his visit, Admiral Koehler plans to meet with senior Bangladeshi officials to discuss the longstanding US-Bangladesh defense partnership and opportunities to expand cooperation on maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster response, and professional military education.
