Bangladesh Navy Eyes River-Class Offshore Patrol Vessels from the United Kingdom

Reading Time: 3 minutes The United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Bangladesh, Baroness Rosie Winterton, DBE, paid a courtesy call on Admiral M Nazmul Hassan, Chief of Naval Staff of the Bangladesh Navy, at the Naval Headquarters yesterday. During the meeting, both sides discussed avenues for strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and explored opportunities for enhanced trade and industrial collaboration between Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. The discussions were described as cordial and forward-looking, with a shared interest in expanding maritime security partnerships and capacity-building initiatives. Strengthening Defence and Industrial Ties The meeting follows Baroness Winterton’s high-level engagements in Dhaka, including her discussion with Chief Adviser Professor Muhammad Yunus at the State Guest House Jamuna. Their talks focused on trade, investment, clean energy, and democratic reforms, alongside the growing potential for defence and maritime collaboration. Of particular note, the discussions covered Bangladesh’s proposal to acquire HMS Enterprise—a hydrographic and survey vessel from