The ship left for Qatar on 22 February 2018 to take part in 6th Doha International Maritime Exhibition and Conference (DIMDEX-2018) to be held from 12 March to 14 March 2018. She will pay goodwill visits to Mumbai port of India 2 March to 5 March 2018 and to Colombo port of Sri Lanka from 22 March to 25 March 2018. BNS Bangabandhu is a guided missile frigate of the Bangladesh Navy, and is one of the most modern currently in service. She is currently moored at Chattogram, serving with the Commodore Commanding BN Flotilla (COMBAN). About 200 personnel serve aboard her. This frigate type is said to the most modern frigate of its class according to the Bangladesh Navy.
This vessel is said to be the most modern frigate of its class according to official statistics. It is equipped with some of the most advanced systems available; the Otomat Mk.II anti-ship missiles on board the vessel are an advanced and highly capable missile system with a range of over 180 kilometres (110 mi); with mid-course update from suitably equipped helicopters, aircraft or surface platforms these anti-ship missiles can change course mid-flight and the warship does not need to be re-positioned to fire at the target (unlike other anti-ship missiles). On 17 June 2013, during the annual exercise Sea Thunder 2013, BNS Bangabandhu successfully fired an Otomat missile for the first time. Additionally the vessel is armed with sophisticated point-defence surface-to-air missile (SAM) system in the form of eight FM-90N SAMs (15 kilometres (9.3 mi) range) and Fast Forty 40 mm/70 compact CIWS in two twin mounts. The vessel is also armed with six 324 mm B-515 torpedo tubes in two triple mounts which fire the EuroTorp Whitehead A244/S Mod.3 torpedoes. All of these weapons systems together with the one Otobreda 76 mm/62 Super Rapid gun give the vessel extensive combat capability.
