The Bangladesh Army and US Military Special Operations Command – Pacific (SOCPAC) jointly conducted counter-terrorism and crisis response exercises under the Tiger Shark 37 banner.
Members of the Bangladesh Army’s elite 1 Para Commando Brigade and their US Military counterparts performed a series of exercises at the School of Infantry and Tactics (SI&T) at Jalalabad Cantonment in Sylhet, Bangladesh.
The training facility at Jalalabad Cantonment also hosts the Bangladesh Army Airborne School, also known as the Para Training School. It conducts basic paratrooper training for Bangladesh Armed Forces military parachutists as well as Advanced Para Course, Free Fall Course, Rigger Course, Pathfinder Course and the Jump Master Course.
The Army Airborne School was established in 1988 at Sylhet Cantonment under Special Warfare Wing. In 1988, the para training course was started for the first time at the special warfare school. A group of Commandos were sent to Pakistan and Indonesia for Advanced Commando and Airborne Training. Successfully completing their training there, they came back home and started Para & Advanced Commando Course in Bangladesh.
In recent times Bangladesh Army has sought to strengthen its Special Warfare and Airborne Infantry capabilities with introduction of Para Commando Brigades (Special Forces), Para-Infantry Brigades (Airborne Infantry) and riverine/coastal warfare waterborne brigades (Marines type outfit).
Various weapons, equipment and aircraft including C295W and C-130J were procured by Army and Air Force. Hundreds of watercraft have also been purchased in addition to land and air platforms.
Bangladesh and the United States are seeking to improve interoperability and an effort is being made to sign a series of defence agreements between the two countries to transform the relationship into a strategic partnership. Bangladesh may benefit from US support in its bid to repatriate the Rohingya’s back to their homes in Myanmar. Efforts are being made by Bangladesh and its international allies to ensure this is undertaken within the shortest possible time. Military options remain on the table if Myanmar continues to adopt a belligerent approach against the international community.
Photo: US Embassy, Dhaka.
