Visiting US Pacific Fleet Commander Admiral Stephen Koehler paid tribute at Shikha Anirban, the Eternal Flame, honoring members of the Bangladesh Armed Forces who sacrificed their lives in the 1971 Liberation War.
He was accompanied by US Ambassador Brent T Christensen on Wednesday.
Koehler is on an official visit to Bangladesh from 4 to 6 August, the US Embassy said. During the trip, he met senior officials to discuss the Bangladesh‑US defence partnership and cooperation in maritime security, humanitarian assistance, disaster response and military education.
He also met Prime Minister Tarique Rahman to explore ways to deepen regional security cooperation, as well as Defence Adviser AKM Shamsul Islam and Navy Chief Vice Admiral Khondkar Misbah ul Azim.
The US said a strong Bangladesh‑US partnership supports a “more stable, secure and prosperous” region.
The visit follows completion of the bilateral exercise “Tiger Lightning 2026” in Bangladesh, aimed at strengthening interoperability and readiness between US and Bangladeshi forces.
Admiral Koehler, from a Navy family, is a 1986 physics graduate of the University of Colorado at Boulder. He holds a master’s in National Security and Strategic Studies from the Naval War College and is a graduate of the Joint Staff College and the Navy Nuclear Power Programme.
