Next, was his visit to the Senakunja, Station Headquarters, Dhaka Cantonment where a smart contingent of the Bangladesh Army performed a Guard Turnout and a Guard of Honour and greeted the Sri Lanka’s Army Chief on arrival after the Adjutant General welcomed him warmly. Afterwards the visiting Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake was invited to add memories to his visit to the Senakunja by planting a tree sapling in the premises and signing the register for VIP visitors to the venue as another formality in the agenda.
Minutes after that the visiting Commander met his host, Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan at the Army Headquarters. The cordial meeting that ensued between the Commander of the Army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake and his Bangladesh counterpart, General Iqbal Karim Bhuiyan, assumed special significance since bilateral talks that were held centred largely on several projects of concern to both organizations.
Bangladesh’s Chief of Army Staff during the cordial meet, underlined the importance of further intensification of training programmes and joint military exercises between both armies while simultaneously receiving assistance from the Sri Lanka Army for establishment of a Women’s Corps in the Bangladesh Army.
General Bhuiyan requested the Sri Lanka Army Chief to explore possibilities for provision of sniper training slots of the Sri Lankan Special Forces to Bangladesh’s members of the Armed Forces through amicably scheduled programmes.
Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake contributing to the discussions proposed the commencement of regular staff talks between both organizations as well as exchange of sports programmes as measures that could further cement existing relations.
In response to General Bhuiyan’s request for assistance to raise a Women’s Corps Unit in the Bangladesh Army, Lieutenant General Ratnayake positively, responded and assured establishment of such a unit for Bangladesh Army could be launched in concurrence with the Sri Lanka Army Women’s Corps Regiment in the near future, as agreeable to both organizations.
Similarly, Lieutenant General Ratnayake proposed the conduct of bilateral exchange of views on matters of security interest and importance on regular basis under planned schedules as both armies are equally responsible for all security aspects in the region. Both Army Chiefs during cordial talks unanimously agreed to further enhance close co-operation and launch of joint exercises which would help both organizations in terms of their battlefield training, theoretical knowledge and all-time preparedness for any eventuality, etc.
Lieutenant General Ratnayake further said that he would be very happy to be associated with the initial founding of a women’s unit in the Bangladesh Army as it would signify the existing good relations between Sri Lanka and Bangladesh as well as troops of both armies.
Exchange of mementos culminated the cordial meeting between both Chiefs of the Bangladesh and Sri Lanka Army.
The Commander’s five-day itinerary in Bangladesh covers his call-on visits to the Navy and Air Force Commanders and separate visits to the Bangladesh National Defence College, Bangladesh Defence Services Command and Staff College (DSCSC), 24 Infantry Headquarters and a few other places of relevance.
Lieutenant General Ratnayake is also scheduled to have an interactive session with the undergraduates in the 21st Staff Course at the DSCSC.
Lieutenant General Ratnayake’s retinue is comprised of Major General S.D.T Liyanage, General Officer Commanding, 64 Division, Brigadier A.K.P Wickramasinghe, Director Supply and Transport, Brigadier K.J Jayaweera, Director Media, Lieutenant Colonel S.A.N.D Edirisinghe, Military Assistant and Major P.K Waruwangodage, ADC to the Commander.
The spouse of the visiting Commander, Mrs Damayanthi Ratnayake, President, Army Seva Vanitha Unit, will take part in a separate progarmme, organized by the spouse of the Bangladesh Chief of Army Staff.
