New Delhi: The border forces of India and Bangladesh have agreed to organise a
joint retreat ceremony along the Indo-Bangladesh border similar to the prevalent
tradition along the Indo-Pakistan border at Wagah. The decision was taken during
the 33rd Border Co-ordination Conference of border forces of India and
Bangladesh in New Delhi.
“We have taken some new decisions apart from the usual agenda. We have decided
in-principle to have a similar joint retreat ceremony at the Petrapole/ Benapole
integrated check-post on the lines of the ceremony between the BSF and the
Pakistan Rangers at Attari-Wagah border in Punjab where the Pakistani forces and
BSF join together in the retreat ceremony lowering the flags,” BSF director
general Raman Srivastava told reporters here on the conclusion of the joint
border talks with the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB).
“A joint committee of the BSF and the BGB will go into the details to explore
the modalities, methodologies and the other relevant issues of this ceremony and
hopefully within a couple of months we should be able to start such a ceremony,”
Srivastava added.
A proposal to replicate this ceremony at Akhora and Phoolbani is also under
consideration by the two forces in the hope that it would be a good tourist
attraction.
“We hope the ceremony will be even more beautiful and congenial than the
ceremony at Attari and Wagah. In due course of time, it will become a major
tourist attraction like the Attari Wagah ceremony,” Srivastava said.
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