“The whole idea is to foster better relations and close cooperation between the two countries and promote brotherhood and good relations between the two armies,” said Lt Colonel Gopenshwor Sapam, who is leading the team of the Indian Army in the Second Joint Indo- Bangladesh Army Cycling expedition.
The Siliguri leg of the expedition, conducted under the aegis of the Headquarters Eastern Command/Trishakti Corp from 12-26 March, was flagged off at Sukna near Siliguri by Lt General PM Bali, AVSM/VSM, the General Officer Commanding of the Trishakti Corps on Tuesday.
The expedition, with the theme ‘Glorious War of Liberation- 1971,’ was flagged off at Jessore in Bangladesh on 12 March and entered India via Benapole-Petrapole Immigration Checkpost.
After cycling for 15 days and covering a distance of 1203 km via Jessore-Kolkata- Burdwan-Behrampore- Malda-Raiganj-Siliguri-Binnaguri and Cooch Behar will re-enter Bangladesh through the Changrabanda Immigration Check-post, Army officers at the flagging-off ceremony said here on Tuesday.
“After covering 804 km, the teams, comprising 15 participants in each team from India and Bangladesh reached Siliguri yesterday,” they said.
Lt Gen Bali felicitated the participants at a function here and flagged them off to their next destination, Binnaguri in the Dooars. “The expedition aims to inculcate camaraderie and team spirit, develop adventure skills and educate on the Bangladesh Liberation War,” an officer said.
Team leader of the Bangladesh Army, Major HM Selimuzzaman, said the expedition was part of the various exchange programmes between the two armies being held for the past few years.
“The best thing that has happened between the Bangladesh and the Indian armies is the Liberation War. Through this expedition we recall the glorious history written by our predecessors, who organized themselves, regrouped in India and fought inside Bangladesh and liberated us from West Pakistan” he said.
Earlier, the Indian army team reached Bangladesh to a grand welcome on 10 March at Jessore. In course of the expedition, the Indian team visited historical places related to the 1971 War. “The bonhomie and cooperation developed between the delegations of the two armies will go a long way in fostgering the spirit of mutual trust and friendship in the years to come,” the Indian Army later said in a release.