The Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will undertake joint exercise on border management along the India-Bangladesh border later this month.
The first of its kind joint exercise between the border guarding forces of the two countries is likely to be held in Sunderbans.
Senior BSF officials told The Hindu that the exercise is aimed at confidence building and better coordination between the BSF and BGB to help in maintaining the sanctity of the international borders.
The joint exercise will add another chapter in the collaboration between the two forces, which had started a joint retreat ceremony along the Petrapole-Benapole border in south Bengal since November 2013.
The two forces, which guard 4,096 km border between the two countries, follow a Co-ordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) which aims to prevent cross border criminal activities, irregular movement, and incidents of violence along the border.
A broad agreement on having the joint exercise between the two para-military forces was arrived at the 41st Joint Border Coordination Conference between Director Generals of BSF and BGB held at New Delhi in August this year.
Meanwhile, the decision to hold the exercise in Sunderbans is crucial as the riverine terrain poses a challenge for patrolling the borders.
There are three floating border outposts deployed by the BSF in the Sunderbans, to maintain a vigil in the channel of rivers Kalindi, Ichhamati, Raimangal and Hariabhanga. According to senior BSF officials, six more floating BOPs is likely to be made available to the BSF soon.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/kolkata/bsf-bgb-to-undertake-first-joint-training-exercise-in-sunderbans/article7938484.ece