NEW DELHI, Mar 10: The Indian Navy ships Kulish and Sumedha visited the port of Mongla to commemorate the ‘Mujibo Barsho’ and th ‘50 Years of Liberation War.’
The visit is significant because it is the first time Indian naval ships are visiting Mongla. The last time it happened was in December 1971, when the two gunboats Padma and Palash, manned jointly by Indian Navy and Mukti Bahini staff, sailed up the Pusur river in a covert operation and struck multiple Pakistani installations at the Port.
According to the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, apart from two ships, a senior officer from the Indian Navy, Cmde Mahadevu Goverdhan Raju, NM, Naval Officer-in-Charge, Andhra Pradesh, is embarked onboard INS Sumedha, an indigenously constructed offshore patrol vessel. The ship is commanded by Cdr Gaurav Durga prasad and is designed to patrol and monitor India’s vast Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ). In addition to main and anti-aircraft weapons, the ship also has an ALH/Alouette helicopter on board.
The second ship, the INS Kulish, was also constructed for anti-surface warfare operations. Cdr Sanjeev Agnihotri commands the ship, which is equipped with surface-to-surface missiles, a main gun, anti-aircraft weapons, and missiles. It also has the ability to fly helicopters.
Senior officers from the Indian side will pay homage to Bangabandhu by laying wreaths at his mausoleum in Tungipara during the tour. They will also lay wreaths at the grave of Bir Shrestho Ruhul Amin, who died in a fight aboard the gunboat Palash in Mongla on December 10, 1971. During an on-board reception, the Indian ships will also honour Bangladesh Navy Veterans of the Liberation War and present Bangladesh Navy objects of historical significance for display at the Armed Forces Museum.
Professional discussions with the Bangladesh Navy will take place, as well as courtesy calls on senior officers in Mongla and Khulna. Both Navies will also play friendly sports matches and visit each other’s ships. Both navies will conduct a joint passage exercise. The visiting ships will return on Thursday.
(Venkatesh Iyer)