Bangladesh a strategic neighbour, says Indian army chief

Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi today described Bangladesh as a “strategic neighbour” and said any kind of animosity between the two countries is not in the interest of either nation.

Addressing a press conference ahead of the Army Day celebration, Gen Dwivedi, when asked about the current status of India-Bangladesh relations, said, “We should talk about the relationship when there is an elected government in Bangladesh.”

However, he said that the relationship between the militaries of the two countries remains “perfect.”

The Indian army chief said he has been in regular contact with his Bangladeshi counterpart, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, including during the regime change. He mentioned holding a video conference with Gen Zaman on November 24 and staying in touch with him since.

Gen Dwivedi began his remarks on the bilateral relationship by recalling the Bangladesh army chief’s statement about India.

“I take your mind back to when the Bangladesh army chief recently said that India was a strategic neighbour of his country,” he said. The Indian army chief added, “The same is vice versa—Bangladesh is strategically important to us.”

“We are neighbours. We have to live together, understand each other, and any kind of animosity is not in each other’s interest,” Gen Dwivedi said.

He pointed out that Bangladesh shares a significant border with India, except for a small portion in the southeastern region, and no other country shares such an extensive border with India.

On military cooperation, he said it is “on the rise again.”

However, the joint military exercises between the two nations have been temporarily put on hold due to the current situation in Bangladesh, which he said would resume once the situation stabilises.

Responding to a question about the vulnerability of India’s northeastern states, following allegations that “anti-India” elements were being allowed free movement near the border, Gen Dwivedi said, “There is no vulnerability from either side.”