The navies of India and Bangladesh held a mega military exercise — Bongosagar — in the Bay of Bengal on October 3. A variety of maritime drills and operations were conducted as part of the annual exercise. It was followed by the third edition of Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT) in the Northern Bay of Bengal on October 4 and 5.  

Key points:

The first edition of Bongosagar was held in 2019. It is aimed at developing interoperability and joint operational skills through conduct of a wide spectrum of maritime exercises and operations.

In Bongosagar 2020, ships from both navies participated in surface warfare drills, seamanship evolutions and helicopter operations. 

The Indian Navy deployed anti-submarine warfare corvette Kiltan and guided-missile corvette Khukri. The Bangladeshi navy was represented by guided-missile frigate Abu Bakr and guided-missile corvette Prottoy.

Both navies also conducted joint patrolling along the International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL). Conduct of CORPATs has strengthened understanding between both the navies and instituted measures to stop conduct of unlawful activities.

India and Bangladesh have a close, long-standing relationship, covering a wide spectrum of activities and interactions, which has strengthened over the years.

The Indian Navy has participated in a number of joint maritime exercises in the last few weeks.

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