As part of a conscious strategy to stymie unwanted criticism, Bangladesh Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman will not be visiting New Delhi to attend a three-day international conference on terrorism, informed sources in Bangladesh’s national security bureaucracy disclosed to Northeast News on October 3.
Gen Zaman will also not attend the United Nations Troop Contributing Countries’ (UNTCC) Chiefs Conclave in New Delhi from October 14 to 16, 2025. This conference will draw the senior military leadership of over 30 countries that are key contributors to UN peacekeeping operations.
A section of Bangladeshi media speculated on October 2 that Gen Zaman would likely visit the Indian capital. However, Northeast News has confirmed that Army Training and Doctrine Command (ARTDOC) General Officer Commanding, Lieutenant General Mainur Rahman, will represent Bangladesh for the South Asia Counter-Terrorism Conference-2025 to be held between October 13-16 in New Delhi.
Gen Zaman’s most recent visit abroad was to Malaysia, where he attended the Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs’ Conference, which was held between September 22 and 27. The conference deliberated on strengthening friendship and cooperation among chiefs of Indo-Pacific states, sought to address common challenges, and coordinated measures during regional crises.
While Gen Zaman emphasised partnership and cooperation over competition in tackling multidimensional challenges in the Indo-Pacific region, there were reports of a meeting between him and the Indian Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi on the sidelines of the 4th Indo-Pacific Armies Chiefs Conference co-hosted by the Malaysian Army and the United States Pacific Army.
There were no details on what might have transpired between Gen Dwivedi and Gen Zaman, but the latter’s absence from the South Asia Counter-Terrorism Conference-2025 is being described as a move to not attract “too much attention” on the continuing ties between the Bangladesh and Indian armies at a time when the bilateral relationship between Dhaka and New Delhi is at its lowest point.
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Gen Dwivedi took over as the Indian Army chief less than a month before the student-led movement began in Bangladesh, which finally led to the ouster of the Sheikh Hasina regime. Both Gen Dwivedi took charge on June 30, 2024, and Gen Zaman was elevated to head the Bangladesh Army on June 23, the same year.
