Confidence building: Joint Retreat Ceremony continues in Fulbari

Darjeeling: Despite the ongoing unrest and tension in neighbouring Bangladesh, the Joint Retreat Ceremony is still continuing with the participation of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on the Fulbari international border in Jalpaiguri district, 9 km from Siliguri. The crisp ceremony is a treat for the eyes and draws crowds from both the countries.

The Joint Retreat Ceremony is now taking place on Saturdays and Tuesdays of the week “Retreat” signifies the end of the working day. Ceremonies around “retreat” date back to crusades and were initially introduced by the French Army. The ceremonies include parade and lowering of the flags jointly. The Joint Retreat Ceremony at Fulbari was flagged off on April 27, 2018. The Joint Retreat Ceremony between India and Bangladesh was envisaged during DG-level talks in 2013, wherein a proposal was floated as part of confidence-building measure between the two forces and cordial relations between the two countries. A similar DG-level coordination meeting between the two forces was held on April 23, 2018 in Dhaka. On the last day of the meet, the two DGs flagged off the ceremony at Fulbari and has been continuing since.

Though the aggressiveness of the same ceremony at Wagah in Punjab is not witnessed (owing to both the forces enjoying friendly relations), the drill is a display of perfect mutual coordination, synergy and meticulous maneuvers by troops of both the countries.