A four-member Bangladesh delegation, led by Lieutenant General S M Kamrul Hassan, BSP, ndc, hdmc, psc, PhD, Principal Staff Officer (PSO) of the Armed Forces Division (AFD), participated in the 27th annual Indo-Pacific Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) Conference held in Hua Hin, Thailand, from August 26–28, 2025.

Hosted jointly by U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, and Royal Thai Armed Forces, the three-day conference brought together senior military leaders from 29 nations and several multinational organizations to discuss regional security issues under the theme “Peace through Strength - Ensuring Security and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific".

On the sidelines of the conference, Lieutenant General Kamrul Hassan held bilateral meetings with Admiral Samuel Paparo, Commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM), Major General Ibrahim Hilmy, Chief of Defence Force of the Maldives, General Ashok Raj Sigdel, Chief of the Army Staff of the Nepali Army, and Lasantha Rodrigo, the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army. These engagements provided an opportunity to strengthen bilateral defence cooperation, deepen mutual understanding, and explore new avenues for collaboration to promote regional peace and security.

Significantly, Lieutenant General Kamrul Hassan also delivered a closing remark at the conference, highlighting Bangladesh’s perspectives on collective security, regional stability, and the importance of multilateral cooperation in addressing common challenges across the Indo-Pacific region.

In parallel, the Senior Enlisted Leaders’ Program was held where Master Warrant Officer Afzal Hossain from Bangladesh Army participated actively and held a bilateral meeting with Sergeant Major Eric Cook, US INDOPACOM CSEL.

Bangladesh’s participation in the CHOD Conference reflects our steadfast commitment to fostering peace, stability, and cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region. By engaging in dialogue at leadership level, Bangladesh reaffirmed its stand to collective security efforts and strengthening partnerships with regional and global allies.