On 15 January 2023, the Royal Navy’s Offshore Patrol Vessel HMS
TAMAR has arrived at the naval base in Chattogram, Bangladesh.
The vessel was received by Chief Staff Officer to Commander
Chattogram Naval Area, Capt M Faizul Hoque, (C), psc, BN. The
deployment of HMS TAMAR emphasises the UK’s commitment to defence
cooperation with Bangladesh, and to an open and resilient
international order for open societies and economies to flourish.
During the visit, HMS TAMAR and her crew will engage in a series
of events with the Bangladesh Navy and the local administration
in Chattogram to maximise bilateral relations benefitting both
countries’ military, trade, development and political alliances.
Commanding Officer of HMS TAMAR Commander Teilo Elliot-Smith,
Royal Navy said: “It is a complete honour to bring HMS TAMAR to
Bangladesh. Apart from the cultural wonder of Chittagong I’m
excited to better understand maritime security priorities in the
Bay of Bengal. Our welcome was spectacular and it’s clear we have
much in common.”
British High Commissioner to Bangladesh Robert Chatterton Dickson
said: “I am delighted that HMS TAMAR is visiting Bangladesh, the
second Royal Navy ship to come to Chattogram in eighteen months,
and I am very grateful to the Bangladesh Navy for their warm
welcome. This visit is another example of the UK’s long history
of defence cooperation with Bangladesh, especially in the
maritime domain. As part of the Indo Pacific focus to our foreign
policy we are committed to further deepening defence and naval
cooperation with Bangladesh.”
It is worth mentioning that a significant number of Bangladesh
Navy personnel have trained alongside the Royal Navy in the UK,
including at the Royal College of Defence Studies; on
International Principal Warfare Courses, Royal Navy Young Officer
Courses, Advance Marine Engineering Courses, Marine Engineering
Application and Management Courses, International Midshipman
Courses, and Underwater Medicine Courses; and through the UK
government’s prestigious Chevening Scholarship.
