SHILLONG: The Bangladesh Army, in a strong and clear message, has declared that there is “no space for militancy” in Bangladesh and that it has never served as a safe haven for militants.
Maj Gen Chowdhury Mohammed Aizizul Haque Hazary of the Bangladesh Army quoted Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s repeated assertions on Bangladesh’s stance against militancy.
“The Bangladesh Army is combat ready to minimise and neutralise any threat from militants,” he told the press, on the sidelines of the eleventh edition of SAMPRITI-XI, a joint military exercise between the Indian Army and its Bangladesh counterpart, in Umroi, Meghalaya, on Monday.
Highlighting the successful military and intelligence cooperation between the two neighbouring nations, Maj Gen Hazary stressed upon the shared vision of both countries in countering militancy.
His sentiments were echoed by his Indian counterpart, Maj Gen Ajay Feroze Shah, the General Officer Commanding of the 20 Mountain Division. He praised the camaraderie and integrated approach of the two forces, particularly evident during their joint exercises, and said, “Both armies are ready.” Highlighting the theme of their collaboration, Shah added, “The joint exercise is about negating the menace of terrorism.”
Earlier in the day, the eleventh edition of SAMPRITI-XI, the bilateral military exercise, held at the Joint Training Node in Umroi, Meghalaya, concluded successfully on Monday.
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The joint military exercise saw the active participation of 170 soldiers from the 52 Infantry Brigade of Bangladesh and an equal number from India’s 15th Battalion, the Rajput Regiment of the 66 Mountain Brigade. The collective strength of 340 soldiers engaged in various drills, sharing experiences from past global operations.
Exercise SAMPRITI, a step towards strengthening bond between India and Bangladesh, is organised annually and alternates between the two nations. The inaugural edition was held in Jorhat, India, back in 2009, with ten successful iterations conducted till 2022.
