Bangladesh National Security Adviser (NSA) Khalilur Rahman today reportedly met Chinese acting Ambassador in Dhaka, Liu Yuyin, sparking speculations that he might visit Beijing before Army chief General Waker-uz-Zaman who is scheduled to undertake a trip to the Chinese capital towards the end of June.
Khalilur Rahman, who took centre stage during Chief Adviser Mohammd Yunus’ recent visit to London, where the latter had a lengthy meeting with BNP’s Acting Chairman Tarique Rahman, may also meet Pakistani ISI chief Lieutenant General Asim Malik in China. Lt Gen Malik is also Pakistan’s NSA, a post to which he was appointed in May this year.
While no there are no details of what transpired between Khalilur Rahman during their hour-long meeting, Bangladeshi government sources said that the two “most likely” discussed about the Bangladesh NSA’s visit.
Khalilur Rahman’s China visit will, in all likelihood, primarily be aimed at reading Beijing’s mind, especially in the backdrop of the cooperation that Bangladesh may extend to the Arakan Army in Myanmar’s Rakhine State where the Chinese have large investment interests.
It is said that before leaving for London, Khalilur Rahman had a meeting with Chinese Ambassador to Dhaka, Yao Wen, who is away in his home country.
In the event Khalilur Rahman leaves for China in the days to come, he would pip General Zaman whose visit is in the process of being planned by several key directorates in the Bangladesh Army.
Northeast News had reported on May 22 that Gen Zaman’s trip to Beijing will take place following a formal invitation from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
Gen Zaman’s visit is aimed at greater defence hardware acquisitions from China, which has traditionally been the principal supplier of weapons and air assets to the Bangladesh Army and the Bangladesh Air Force.
For this reason, the Bangladesh Army’s Directorate of Weaponry and Systems (DWE&S) has been coordinating with other directorates on the visit.
Representatives of the directorates of Infantry, Army Aviation, Artillery, Signals, Ordnance, Engineers, Armoured, Military Operations, Military Operations, Military Intelligence and Military Training have met at least on one occasion at the DWE&S conference room to chalk out the details of Gen Zaman’s visit.
On May 13, Bangladesh Army’s Master General of Ordinance Branch Major General Abu Bakar Siddique Khan and other senior officers met a four-member team of executives of China Vanguard Co Ltd to discuss plans to acquire HQ-17AE surface-to-air missiles (SAMs), JSG radars and FK-3 medium-range-surface-to-air missiles (MSAMs).
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It could not be confirmed whether Gen Zaman will sign agreements on the acquisition of the SAM and MSAM and JSG radars.
Sources said that he will meet senior PLA officers and discuss avenues for greater defence cooperation between China and Bangladesh.
Exactly a year ago, Bangladesh and China held their first-ever joint military exercise ‘Golden Friendship-2024’, which aimed to fine-tune peacekeeping and counter-terrorism operations and involved mixed groups training on scenarios like anti-hijacking and camp elimination.
