India, B'desh armies on 370-km cross-border cycling expedition to commemorate '71 war

A joint cycling expedition from Jessore in Bangladesh to Kolkata, organised by the armies of the two countries, will commemorate the golden jubilee of the Bangladesh Liberation War of 1971, an official said here on Thursday.

The joint cycling team, comprising 20 cyclists each from the two armies, will cover a distance of 370 kms over a span of 10 days to reach the Eastern Command headquarters Fort William here on November 24.

''The expedition is to pay tribute to the valour and courage of soldiers who made the supreme sacrifice during the war leading to the landslide victory and creation of a new nation Bangladesh,'' the defence official said.

Having started from Jessore on November 15, the cycling team will pass through Jhenaidah, Kushtia, Meherpur, Darshana, Chuadanga in Bangladesh, and Krishnanagar, Ranaghat, Kalyani and Barrackpore on the Indian side, he said.

''The team will interact with veterans in India and will also connect with 'Mukti Joddhas' in Bangladesh,'' the official said.

The expedition will also connect with young men and women and motivate them to join the armed forces, while creating awareness about the contribution of the forces in the liberation of Bangladesh.

Another cycling expedition, organised by the Indian Army, from Chungthang in Sikkim culminated at Panagarh on Tuesday as part of the 'Swarnim Vijay Varsh' celebrations, an official said.

''The expedition covered the icy mountain peaks of Sikkim and the plains of West Bengal to reach Panagarh military station,'' he said.

Apart from spreading a message for environment preservation, the team, comprising 12 cyclists, also interacted with veterans, war widows and motivated young people to adopt the armed forces as a career option, he added.

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)