IOS Sagar Leaves Chattogram After Bangladesh Navy Engagement, Strengthening India’s Bay of Bengal Maritime Outreach

Indian Ocean Ship IOS Sagar, also identified as INS Sunayna, departed from Chattogram after completing a successful maritime engagement with the Bangladesh Navy, marking another step in India’s expanding naval diplomacy across the Indian Ocean Region. The ship left the Bangladesh port on Sunday and is now sailing towards Colombo, Sri Lanka, as part of its ongoing regional deployment.

The Chattogram port call was not a routine harbour visit. It included diplomatic engagements, professional exchanges, cross-deck visits, operational discussions, cultural interactions and a joint maritime exercise with the Bangladesh Navy. According to News On AIR, the deployment carries personnel from 17 nationalities, including Bangladesh, making IOS Sagar a multinational maritime platform aimed at strengthening professional training, regional cooperation and combined maritime action.

The visit had begun on 8 May 2026, when IOS Sagar arrived at Chattogram as part of the IOS SAGAR 2026 deployment. On entering Bangladesh waters, the vessel was received and escorted into harbour by Bangladesh Navy Ship BNS Ali Haider (F17). The Ministry of Defence said the visit was aimed at further strengthening maritime cooperation and professional ties between the Indian Navy and the Bangladesh Navy.

During the port call, the Commanding Officer of IOS Sagar met senior Bangladesh Navy officials, including COMBAN and COMCHIT, to discuss regional maritime collaboration and shared security objectives. The programme also included interactions with the Chattogram Port Authority, visits to the Issa Khan Training Complex and the Bangladesh Naval Academy, and cross-deck exchanges between Bangladesh Navy personnel and the multinational crew embarked onboard IOS Sagar.

The engagement also carried a commemorative and goodwill dimension. The Commanding Officer was scheduled to pay tribute at the Chattogram War Cemetery, while the visit also featured receptions, sporting events and sightseeing activities in Chattogram. These people-to-people and military-to-military exchanges are important because naval partnerships are built not only through exercises, but also through trust, familiarity and repeated professional contact.

The operational highlight came after IOS Sagar left harbour, when it conducted a Passage Exercise, or PASSEX, with BNS Prottoy and Bangladesh naval air assets. The exercise included coordinated surface manoeuvres and maritime drills designed to improve operational coordination and interoperability at sea. In simple terms, such exercises help both navies understand each other’s procedures, communication patterns and tactical responses during real maritime operations.

The wider significance of the deployment lies in India’s SAGAR and MAHASAGAR vision. The Indian Navy has said that the second edition of IOS SAGAR commenced on 16 March 2026, bringing together naval personnel from 16 nations to train and sail together onboard an Indian naval ship. The initiative advances India’s vision of Security and Growth for All in the Region and seeks to strengthen partnerships, interoperability and shared maritime security across the Indian Ocean Region.

For India and Bangladesh, the Chattogram engagement reinforces a practical maritime partnership in the Bay of Bengal. With both countries sharing security interests in sea-lane safety, coastal stability, disaster response, anti-smuggling coordination and regional maritime awareness, IOS Sagar’s visit serves as a visible reminder that India’s naval outreach is increasingly being shaped through training, joint exercises, port calls and sustained engagement with friendly regional navies.