India, Bangladesh conclude joint military drill in Meghalaya

A delegation comprising of 31 officers and 138 other ranks of Bangladesh Army led by Brigadier General Md Shafiul Azam of the 42nd Bangladesh infantry regiment, while the Indian Army is led by Brigadier Rajesh Sharma of the Bihar regiment, participated in the “Sampriti-IX”military exercise which started on February 3.

During the fortnight long exercise between the armies of the two neighboring countries, specific input of terrorists presence & hostage situation by villagers to company commanders carrying out area domination, insertion of specially trained house intervention teams using two helicopters, house clearance and room intervention drills, hostage rescue, IED detection by army dogs, neutralisation of IEDs by bomb disposal team amongst other exercises were carried out.

“We have done all out drills to coordinate various inter-operatibility drills between our two countries in our chapter VII mission and it has been a great experience,” Indian Army, Major General Sandeep Bajaj said.

He said that Sampriti-IX is an exercise carried out jointly between India and Bangladesh for operating in a UN environment under chapter VII.

Major General Saif of the Bangladesh army said that the exercise is designed to develop the inter operability between the Indian and Bangladesh army to operate in a counter terrorism environment to neutralise any kind of terrorist threat.

“Bangladesh and India army are friendly armies and have had so many exchange of programmes even as he stated that this bonding is evident through history when India helped Bangladesh during its war of liberation in 1971,” the Bangladesh Army official said.

Stating that Indian and Bangladeshi armies are cooperating through this exchange of training administration and even for various ceremonial activities, Major General Saif said.

“This is one kind of engagement that we have in the series of Sampriti exercises this being the ninth,” he said.

India and Bangladesh had eight exercises with both countries hosting four each.

“Through this exercise both Bangladesh and India army has developed the inter operability through the exchange of the tactical drills and learning. We are confident to operate in any kind of counter terrorism environment understand UN mandate to operate together and to he come successful and confidently operate to neutralise any threat,” Major General Saif said.