In News:

India and Bangladesh conducted the Bongosagar 2025 naval exercise in the Bay of Bengal, aimed at enhancing maritime cooperation, operational interoperability, and regional security. This joint exercise aligns with India's maritime foreign policy doctrine — SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region).

Key Highlights

• Participants:
  • Indian Navy: INS Ranvir, a Rajput-class guided missile destroyer, commissioned in 1986.
  • Bangladesh Navy: BNS Abu Ubaidah.
• Objectives:
  • Strengthen tactical planning, information sharing, and coordinated response capabilities.
  • Enhance interoperability for seamless maritime operations.
  • Reinforce regional trust and cooperation under the SAGAR framework.
• Exercise Components:
  • Surface firing drills
  • Tactical manoeuvres
  • Underway replenishment
  • VBSS (Visit, Board, Search and Seizure) operations
  • Cross-deck boarding exercises
  • Communication drills
  • Professional knowledge quizzes and steam past ceremonies

Strategic Significance

• Supports India’s SAGAR initiative (2015), promoting security and growth in the Indian Ocean region.
• Aligns with the broader MAHASAGAR (2025) vision — Mutual and Holistic Advancement for Security and Growth Across Regions — targeting deeper engagement with the Global South.
• Enhances the ability of both navies to counter maritime threats, uphold freedom of navigation, and ensure regional maritime stability.

India-Bangladesh Defence Cooperation

• Army-level: Exercise Sampriti
• Navy-level: Exercises Bongosagar and Coordinated Patrol (CORPAT)