Diplomatic Desk:
Antonio Alessandro, the Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh, paid a courtesy call on Brigadier General (Retd.) Dr. A.K.M. Shamsul Islam, PSC, G—the Defence Advisor to the Prime Minister—with the aim of further strengthening bilateral defence cooperation between Bangladesh and Italy.
The meeting took place on Sunday (October 18, 2026) at the office of the Defence Advisor, located within the Armed Forces Division at Dhaka Cantonment.
During the meeting, the two sides held productive discussions on various aspects of the long-standing, friendly bilateral relationship between Bangladesh and Italy. In particular, both parties expressed a keen interest in further consolidating and expanding the existing cooperative ties between their respective armed forces.
Key topics discussed included enhancing capabilities in the defence sector, exchanging military training and expertise, providing technical and technological support, and exploring potential avenues for the procurement of modern military equipment and defence materiel. Furthermore, the two sides exchanged detailed views on the roles played by Bangladesh and Italy in United Nations peacekeeping operations, as well as on future opportunities for mutual cooperation and joint training exercises.
The Defence Advisor highlighted the historic, friendly relations between Bangladesh and Italy, while emphasizing the importance of the Italian government’s continued support for the development of Bangladesh’s defence industry and the enhancement of its armed forces’ capabilities.
For his part, the Italian Ambassador reaffirmed Italy’s commitment to maintaining its partnership and mutual cooperation regarding the modernization of the Bangladesh Armed Forces.
Those involved expressed the hope that such high-level engagement and dialogue would play a significant role in further invigorating military relations between the two nations and expanding their overall bilateral partnership.
