The Chief of Army Staff, General Waker-Uz-Zaman, has held meetings with President Mohammed Shahabuddin and Chief Adviser Professor Dr Muhammad Yunus.

On Monday morning (1 September), General Waker-Uz-Zaman first met with the Chief Adviser and later with the President. A senior source within the army confirmed the meetings.

During the discussions, the Army Chief briefed both leaders about his recent official visit to China. The meetings also addressed the law and order situation in Bangladesh, where the Army Chief emphasised the army’s ongoing contribution to maintaining stability.

General Waker-Uz-Zaman embarked on an official tour to China on 21 August and returned home on the night of 27 August.

According to a statement from the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR):

• On 22 August, the Army Chief was accorded a Guard of Honour at the headquarters of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA).
• He met General Chen Hui, Political Commissar of the PLA Ground Force, and other senior Chinese military and civilian officials.
• Discussions covered a range of topics including bilateral interests, strategic cooperation, mutual engagement between peoples, assistance in the repatriation of Rohingya refugees, and support for the advancement of Bangladesh’s defence industry.

On 23 August, the Army Chief held a courtesy meeting with Chen Defang, President of China’s Norinco Group. In addition, he visited the PLA Academy of Armoured Forces’ Beijing Campus, inspecting its training facilities as well as various military equipment production and research laboratories.

Key Highlights of the Visit

Through these engagements, Bangladesh and China explored avenues for strengthening strategic ties, defence cooperation, and humanitarian collaboration, particularly regarding the Rohingya crisis.