This is General Manoj Pande's first visit abroad after taking over as Army Chief

Beginning a three-day visit to Bangladesh on Monday, Army Chief General Manoj Pande discussed ways to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation with Bangladeshi Chief of Army Staff General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed.

This is the first foreign visit by General Pande since assuming charge as Army Chief.

"General Manoj Pande #COAS called on General S M Shafiuddin Ahmed, COAS #BangladeshArmy and discussed ways to enhance & strengthen bilateral defence cooperation between the two countries," the Indian High Commission in Bangladesh said on Twitter.

General Pande will also be meeting with top members of the Bangladeshi security establishment to discuss different defence-related subjects.

Earlier in the day, the Indian Army Chief paid tributes at the Shikha Anirban to honour the valiant soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice during the Liberation War of 1971. He will also pay tribute to the Father of the Nation, the Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman Memorial Museum in Dhanmondi.

On the second day of his visit, the Army Chief will address the students and faculty of Defence Services Command & Staff College, Mirpur.

After that, he will visit and interact with the members of Bangladesh Institute of Peace Support and Operation Training (BIPSOT), a premier institute of Bangladesh which trains peacekeepers for employment in various UN Peace Operations.

General Pande will also visit the Bangabandhu Military Museum in Mirpur.

"The visit of the COAS will further deepen the bilateral relationships between the two Armies and act as a catalyst for closer coordination and cooperation between the two countries on a host of strategic issues," the Ministry of Defence had said while announcing the visit on Sunday.