DHAKA, 10 September 2021, (TON): The US has given 20 vessels to Bangladesh to help increase the country's capacity to monitor, patrol and respond to threats within Bangladesh's coastal waters and Economic Exclusive Zone.

US Ambassador Earl Miller handed over the vessels to Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard in a virtual ceremony with Bangladesh Assistant Chief of Naval Staff for Operations Rear Admiral M Ashraful Haq and Rear Admiral Ashraf Hoq Chowdhury, director general of the Bangladesh Coast Guard, in a virtual event yesterday.

According to a statement of the US embassy in Dhaka “the event marked the formal handover of ten 38-foot (11-metre) Defiant Class Metal Shark Boats and ten 25-foot (8-metre) Defender Class Boats to the Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard following a request from the Bangladesh government.”

It said “the 20 boats will significantly improve the maritime interdiction and counterterrorism capabilities of the Bangladesh Coast Guard and Bangladesh Navy's Special Operations Force Special Warfare Dive and Salvage Unit.”

The US and Bangladesh will conduct joint exercises in the coming months to train Bangladesh Navy and Coast Guard sailors to utilize this important new law enforcement and counterterrorism tool.