The Bangladesh Navy’s newly commissioned guided missile corvette ‘Sangram’ has left the Chittagong Naval Jetty for Lebanon to join the UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon known as UNFIL Maritime Task Force as per the pre-planned and pre-arranged schedule.
It left Chittagong Naval Jetty on Sunday (9 August 2020).
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said in a press release.
Rear Admiral M Mahbubul Islam, Regional Commander, Chittagong Naval Area, was present as the chief guest and formally bade farewell to the warship.
BNS Bijoy is currently on duty in the Mediterranean Sea under the Multinational Maritime Task Force of the United Nations. BNS Bijoy’s responsibilities will be handed over to BNS Sangram after a successful two-year, six-month operation.
Captain Faisal Mohammad Arifur Rahman Bhuiyan, Commander of the Naval Warships, led 15 officers and 95 sailors to Lebanon to join the peacekeeping mission.
BNS Sagram is a C13B stealth surface warfare guided missile corvette built at Wuchang Shipyard of China. She is the third corvette of the Shadhinata class for the Bangladesh Navy.
The warship carries one H/PJ-26 76 mm main gun placed forward. Two 2-cell C-802A anti-ship missiles are installed in the ship for anti surface operations. Two H/PJ-17 30 mm remote controlled gun turrets at amidship work as gun-CIWS for the ship. For air defence, she carries an eight-cell FL-3000N launcher, which is the Chinese equivalent of RAM. The ship also carries two 6-cell Type-87 240mm ASW rocket launchers.
Bangladesh Navy warships have been participating in UN peacekeeping missions in Lebanon since 2010. Navy ships are working efficiently to prevent illegal weapons and ammunition from entering Lebanese territory. In addition, the ship has been playing an important role in world peace through maritime interdiction operations in Lebanese waters, reconnaissance of suspicious ships and aircraft, rescue operations on wrecked ships and the necessary training of Lebanese naval personnel. The Bangladesh Navy is the third Navy in Asia to deploy warships for UN peacekeeping operations and the only naval force from South Asia to do so.
