The Bangladesh Army concluded its annual winter exercise at Swarna Dweep in Noakhali’s Hatia upazila yesterday under the management of the 33 Infantry Division codenamed ‘Operation Bijoy Gourab’.
This year the exercise was participated the 66 Infantry Division and also joined by the Bangladesh Navy and Air Force.
Armoured fighting vehicles, main battle tanks, MiG-29 fighter aircraft, Mi-171Sh combat-support helicopters, AS365N+ observation helicopters, unammed aerial vehicles, self-propelled howitzers and armoured recovery vehicles participated in the mock drills besides landing craft.
Swarna Dweep (Gold Island) is an area the size of Singapore. It has been transferred to the ownership and management of the Bangladesh Army and is used to hold field manoeuvre exercises including live firing drills.
The island is seldom populated with mainly defence personnel and civilian farmers tending to animals and plantations. Three multipurpose cyclone shelters, an afforestation project and a one MW solar power plant were inaugurated on the island yesterday by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, who witnessed the military exercises alongside senior defence personnel, politicians and government officials.
