NDC delegation visits US on study tour

A 24-member delegation from Bangladesh’s National Defence College (NDC), led by its Commandant Lt Gen Md Faizur Rahman, has visited the United States as part of the National Defence Course 2026.

The delegation arrived in the United States on September 9 for an Overseas Study Tour.

During the visit, the delegation met senior US and international officials and discussed Bangladesh-US relations, regional security, defence cooperation, global issues and UN peacekeeping.

On September 11, the delegation visited the US Department of State, where Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Paul Kapur welcomed the members and exchanged views with them.

The discussions covered bilateral relations, regional security, defence and military cooperation. A question-and-answer session was also held.

Defence Attaché at the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington Brigadier Gen Mohammad Monowar Hossain Khan and Minister (Consular) Md Mahbubur Rahman received the delegation at Dulles International Airport.

On September 14, the delegation visited the Pentagon, where Rear Admiral Stephen Aldridge, Deputy Director for Politico-Military Affairs (Asia), and Jay Wise, Director for South Asia Policy, welcomed them.

They discussed Bangladesh-US defence relations, military cooperation, regional security, defence policy and future areas of cooperation.

Later, the delegation visited the Embassy of Bangladesh in Washington, where Bangladesh Ambassador to the US Tareq Mohammad Ariful Islam welcomed the members and briefed them on the embassy’s activities.

On September 15, the delegation visited the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Neelkanth Mishra, Executive Director, and Md Abdur Rahman Khan, Alternate Director, welcomed the delegation at the World Bank.

Officials from the World Bank Group and the IMF briefed the members on their work. Discussions focused on Bangladesh’s economic development, engagement with international financial institutions, development cooperation and the global economic situation.

The delegation also visited the National Defense University (NDU) and the Near East South Asia (NESA) Center for Strategic Studies.

Ambassador Roxanne Cabral, Senior Vice President of NDU, and Ambassador John Desrocher, Director of the NESA Center, welcomed the delegation.

Lt Gen Md Faizur Rahman and Senior Directing Staff Air Vice Marshal Md Shafiqul Islam held meetings with senior officials of the two institutions.

The delegation also joined a Speaker Series organised by the NESA Center, where discussions focused on strategic security, regional geopolitics, defence education, leadership development and the current international security situation.

After completing its Washington programme, the delegation travelled to New York on September 15.

On September 16, it visited the United Nations Headquarters.

Brigadier Gen Yakhaya Diop, Chief of Staff of the Office of Military Affairs under the UN Department of Peace Operations, welcomed them.

The delegation later visited the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations.

The study tour provided the participants with first-hand knowledge of the US national security system, defence policy, strategic planning, international relations, the global economy and UN peacekeeping.

It also gave them a better understanding of the work of the Bangladesh Embassy in Washington and the Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the UN in New York.

The delegation is scheduled to leave the United States for Bangladesh today.