India and Bangladesh on 03 October 2023 began the 11th edition of the annual joint military exercise, SAMPRITI, in Umroi, Meghalaya. The exercise, conducted alternately by India and Bangladesh, symbolizes strong bilateral defense cooperation initiatives.

11th edition of SAMPRITI:

Ten successful editions of Sampriti, the annual joint military exercise that began in 2009 from Jorhat in Assam, have been conducted till 2022.

350 soldiers will participate in the 14-day SAMPRITI-XI:

About 350 soldiers from both sides will be included in SAMPRITI-XI. This joint military exercise was scheduled to be conducted for 14 days.
The Bangladesh contingent in the exercise includes 170 soldiers, led by Brigadier General Mohammad Mafizul Islam Rashed, commander of 52 Bangladesh Infantry Brigade. The major unit of the Bangladesh Army is the 27 Bangladesh Infantry Regiment.
The Indian contingent mainly consists of soldiers from one battalion of the Rajput Regiment. Mountain Brigade Commander Brigadier SK Anand is leading the Indian team.
Personnel from various units from both sides such as artillery, engineers and other supporting arms and services will also participate in the exercise.

Command Post Exercise (CPX) and Field Training Exercise (FTX):

Focused on the conduct of sub-conventional operations in accordance with Chapter VII of the UN mandate, Sampriti-XI will consist of a Command Post Exercise (CPX) and a Field Training Exercise (FTX), concluding with a concluding exercise.
20 officers from each team will participate in the CPX and focus on taking decisions after intensive deliberations.
After this, FTX will be organized in which the ground level operations will be validated.
The FTX will include a series of joint tactical exercises for counter-terrorism operations such as hostage rescue, crowd control measures and use of helicopters in counter-terrorism operations.

Validation Exercise:

The validation exercise will be conducted on 14 and 15 October 2023 at Darrang Field Firing Range, Assam. During the exercise, the participants will also get to see the potential of the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' equipment.

Will further strengthen relations between the two countries:

SAMPRITI-XI promises to further enhance defense cooperation between India and Bangladesh, fostering deeper bilateral ties, cultural understanding and mutual benefit from shared experiences in sub-conventional operations.
The exercise underlines the importance of enhancing interoperability between the two armies, sharing tactical exercises and promoting best practices.