First Ever BSF-BGB drill starts in Sundarbans

Kolkata: The first-ever joint exercise between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) got underway in the Sundarbans on Saturday.

The three-day drill "SUNDARBANS MAITRI" will continue till March 14. It was earlier expected to be held in the delta in December last year but was postponed then.

Deputy inspector general (DIG) of the BSF's South Bengal (SB) Frontier R P S Jaswal said, "In compliance of the BSF-BGB Director General Level talks held in Dhaka from December 25 to 30, 2014 a joint decision was taken to hold a 'Joint Operation & Training Exercise' between the BSF and the BGB in the Sundarbans as a confidence building measure. Accordingly, this joint exercise has been planned and is being conducted from March 12 to 14 between the BSF and BGB in the Sundarbans area under the BSF's SB Frontier. It is one of its kind of exercise which is being held between the two border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh for the first time."

The BSF and BGB are participating in the joint exercise with one company strength on each side apart from the use of the floating border out posts (BoPs) and water crafts. While the battalion commandants and the water wing staff of both the forces are directly engaged in the drill, the two forces' Sector Commanders, BSF Inspector General (South Bengal Frontier) and BGB Region Commander (South West Region) will supervise the exercise  which will further improve the coordination between both the forces on the International Borders, Mr Jaswal informed.

The BSF DIG elaborated, "Both the forces follow a Coordinated Border Management Plan aiming to prevent cross-border criminal activities, irregular movements and incidents of violence along the Indo-Bangla border. Besides floating BoPs deployed under area of responsibility of BSF SB frontier in the Sundarbans, there are other water crafts of different capacity to dominate this area and other riverine areas under this frontier.

During the joint exercise, the BSF and BGB are carrying out 'Joint Long Range Patrolling' on mechanized vessels,  'Joint checking of Cargo vessels' on the international sea route and other such exercises in this sensitive area."

Mr Jaswal added, "This joint exercise will certainly help in enhancing the mutual cooperation and coordination between the two forces and help further improve the border management in this area."