Dhaka - Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval arrived here on Tuesday afternoon on a three-day official visit to attend the BIMSTEC national security chiefs’ meeting and hold discussions with Bangladesh officials.
The second meeting of the national security chiefs of the Bay of Bengal Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) will be held here on Wednesday, an official told UNB.
Prime Minister's Security Affairs Adviser Maj Gen (Retd) Tarique Ahmed Siddique is likely to lead the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting. Senior officials from home, defence and foreign affairs ministries will assist him.
Member states of BIMSTEC are Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The first meeting of the BIMSTEC national security chiefs was held in New Delhi on March 21 in 2017.
The meeting noted that BIMSTEC Member States face common security challenges and underlined the necessity of addressing traditional and non-traditional security challenges to harness economic prosperity and human security in the region.
It underscored the importance of recognising the Bay of Bengal as common security space and agreed to work out collective strategies for common responses.
On March 20, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Harsh Vardhan Shringla said terrorism remains the single largest threat to peace and stability in the region.
“To achieve the desired regional cooperation, it’s essential to have peace and security in the region,” he said, adding that the national security chiefs’ meeting will deepen the cooperation in the security domain, including maritime security.
Meanwhile, Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale is likely to be here in the second week of April.
He will attend an event on Bangladesh-India relations on April 9 with Prime Minister’s International Affairs Advisor Dr Gowher Rizvi as the chief guest in the city, an official told UNB.
The newly appointed Indian Foreign Secretary is likely to discuss bilateral issues, including the much-desired Teesta water-sharing deal, with Bangladesh officials during the two-day visit.