Defence Adviser meets Doval ahead of BIMSTEC summit

Bangladesh's Defence Adviser to the Prime Minister, Brigadier General (retd.) Dr AKM Shamsul Islam, held bilateral talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Wednesday (July 15), ahead of the fifth BIMSTEC National Security Advisers' Meeting.

The bilateral meeting took place on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC security dialogue, with Doval also meeting Air Vice Marshal Sampath Thuyacontha of Sri Lanka, Chatchai Bangchuad of Thailand, and U Tin Aung San of Myanmar in a series of similar engagements the same day.

However, no detailed readout of the Bangladesh-India talks was issued by either side, though officials familiar with the discussions said the meeting touched on Bay of Bengal security, regional stability and deepening bilateral cooperation.

Dr Shamsul Islam led Bangladesh's delegation to the main BIMSTEC meeting, which also included Bangladesh's High Commissioner to India, M Riaz Hamidullah. Bangladesh currently holds the chairmanship of BIMSTEC, the seven-nation Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation.