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Bangladesh, India and other member states on Thursday sat together in New Delhi to promote closer cooperation on vital matters of security and strengthen partnership for enhancing regional security in the Indian Ocean region.
India hosted the 7th meeting of the National Security Advisers (NSAs) of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), UNB reports.
Indian NSA Ajit Doval hosted his counterparts from Member States, including Maldives, Mauritius, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
National Security Adviser (NSA) and High Representative for the Rohingya Issue Dr Khalilur Rahman led the Bangladesh delegation.
Seychelles participated as an Observer State, and Malaysia was invited as a Guest.
In keeping with this vision and objective, the 7th meeting of the NSAs is seen an opportunity for the participants to review the activities under the different pillars of cooperation, namely- maritime safety and security; countering terrorism and radicalisation; combating transnational organised crime; cyber security and protection of critical infrastructure and humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, and discuss the roadmap and action plan for 2026, said the host country- India.
Earlier, National Security Adviser (NSA) Dr Khalilur Rahman on Wednesday met his Indian counterpart Doval in New Delhi.
“They discussed work of the CSC (Colombo Security Conclave) and key bilateral issues,” said an official at the Bangladesh High Commission in New Delhi.
Dr Rahman invited Doval to visit Bangladesh at his convenience.
He reached New Delhi on Tuesday night at the invitation of National Security Adviser of India Ajit Doval to attend this regional forum.
The 6th meeting of the NSAs of CSC was held in December 2023 in Mauritius, and Member States met again during the Signing Ceremony for the Founding Documents of CSC in Sri Lanka in August 2024.
The Deputy National Security Advisers (DNSAs) of CSC countries have also been meeting at regular intervals.
The CSC’s core objective is to promote regional security by addressing transnational threats and challenges of common concern to the Member States.
NSA Dr Rahman’s participation at the Colombo Security Conclave in New Delhi is in continuation of the interim government's efforts to foster mutually beneficial regional cooperation, Bangladesh said.
The interim government emphasises regional cooperation as a priority and has actively participated in meetings of various regional bodies.
In April this year, Chief Adviser Prof Muhammad Yunus was elected Chair of BIMSTEC. He has been working hard to reactivate SAARC, said the press wing.
NSA Dr Rahman earlier led a Bangladesh delegation to the China-Indian Ocean Region Forum in Kunming, China.
Bangladesh was officially welcomed in 2024 as the fifth Member State of the Colombo Security Conclave (CSC), a grouping that includes India, Sri Lanka, Mauritius and the Maldives. Seychelles participates with observer status.