India, Bangladesh organise joint band display, cultural event

Agartala, Oct 31: To further promote relations, the border guards of India and Bangladesh on Monday organised a joint band performance and cultural programme at Agartala-Akhaura (Bangladesh) check-post near here, an official said.

Musical bands of Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) played jointly while children and singers from both countries performed popular common songs including patriotic songs.

“Along the India-Bangladesh border, this is the third combined musical band performance and cultural programme of BSF and BGB. Earlier this month, two such joint events were organised along India-Bangladesh frontiers along West Bengal,” BGB’s 12th Battalion Commandant Lt. Col Md Shah Ali told IANS.

“To further promote relations and strengthen friendship between BSF and BGB, such types of programmes were initiated. In future also we would organise such types of joint programmes,” he said.

Ali said that one and-a-half hour-long programme, designed as a confidence building measure, showcased popular, patriotic and folk songs and music of two countries by the artistes from two sides before the public.

Earlier as part of confidence building measures, BSF and BGB had organised various types of joint programmes including sports along the borders.

Senior BSF and BGB officials along with their family members were present on the occasion.

However, jourlists boycotted the event as the BSF officials reportedly ignored and did not cooperate with them from covering the programme, and showed reluctance to brief the media about it.  (IANS)

India’s 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh is shared between five states - West Bengal (2,216 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km). (ians)