Joint retreat begins ... Guards march, crowds watch

BIRESWAR BANERJEE, TT, Apr 28, 2018, Fulbari: The Border Security Force and the Border Guards Bangladesh together started the historic joint retreat ceremony for the first time on the India-Bangladesh border in Banglabandha-Fulbari, located about 5km from here, on Friday.

Krishan Kumar Sharma, the director general of the BSF, and Maj. Gen. Md Shafeenul Islam, the DG of BGB, inaugurated the spectacular event in front of over thousand residents of both the nations.

The ceremony is the third of its kind that will be held on the India-Bangladesh border on a regular basis.

The border guards of both the countries have started similar retreat parade at Petrapole-Benapole since November 2013 and later at Akhaura in Tripura.

"This event will definitely attract more people to the border here, like it attracts visitors at Attari in Punjab (on the Attari-Wagah border of India and Pakistan) and will promote the region. We are also focussing on making the border area a crime-free zone by involving local residents," said Sharma.

The chief of the BGB echoed his counterpart.

"Such programmes will increase the friendly relationship among both the countries," he said.

BSF sources said the event was inaugurated on the final day of the DG level coordination conference held in Bangladesh by BSF and BGB officials.

"We will organise the event every day from now on at the zero point. General spectators will be allowed to witness the event half-an-hour before the sunset, when border guards of both the countries will lower the national flags" an official of BSF said.

On Friday, 24 BSF personnel took part in the retreat that was started around 3.45pm and concluded around 4.10pm.

Citizens from both sides of the border witnessed the programme and were overwhelmed by the outstanding display of border guards, who participated jointly in a parade before lowering the national flags.

"I am really fortunate enough to witness such historical event that was held in between both the countries," Bipul Das, a writer who was there to went to witness the ceremony.

Avay Dubey, a student of Class-X of BSF Kadamtala High School, who was present with other students at the border, was equally excited. "This is the first time I have seen such programme where border guards paraded together and lowered the national flags at sunset," he said.