Australian Deputy Chief of Army Major General Chris Smith paid a courtesy call on Prime Minister’s Defence Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam on Sunday, with the two sides discussing ways to strengthen military cooperation between Bangladesh and Australia.The meeting was held in a cordial atmosphere at the office of the Defence Adviser at the Armed Forces Division in Dhaka Cantonment, according to a press release issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations Directorate (ISPR).During the meeting, the two sides highlighted the longstanding and friendly bilateral relations between Bangladesh and Australia. They discussed enhancing the professional capabilities of their respective land forces, exchanging training programmes, strengthening technical cooperation and expanding strategic communication.Both sides also emphasised increasing mutual participation in advanced military training and skills-development programmes to address emerging challenges on modern battlefields. Major General Chris Smith praised the professionalism and significant contribution of the Bangladesh Armed Forces to UN peacekeeping missions. He also expressed Australia’s interest in expanding cooperation between the two countries in advanced training and experience-sharing among peacekeepers to promote global peace and stability.