India to give sharp bite to Bangla forces with canine school
NEW DELHI: In keeping up with the continuing warmth in Indo-Bangla relations, the Border Security Force (BSF) will facilitate the establishment of a dog training school for security forces of Bangladesh.
The proposal for setting up the canine facility in Bangladesh was mooted by BSF counterpart Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) during the visit of an Indian delegation to Dhaka earlier this week. BSF Director General K K Sharma assured his Bangla counterpart that he will facilitate in setting up the dog training school there.
BSF-trained dogs were inducted for the first time in the BGB in 2015. The BSF has trained 38 pups and as many handlers Bangladeshi handlers. These dogs were the first to be inducted for various roles, including VIP security.
“Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has always been appreciative of dogs’ training by India and is keen on establishing more such centres,” said a senior BSF official who was part of the Indian delegation that visited Dhaka for the border coordination conference with BGB.
The National Training Centre for Dogs (NTCD) of the BSF trains canines of various breeds, handlers and instructors for all forces of the country and even for other countries.
The BSF has also agreed to send male and female instructors for yoga training of the BGB personnel to enhance their physical, mental and spiritual fitness.
The NTCD had trained 20 pups and their handlers in 2015 for the BGB. In 2016, the BSF’s canine school had trained 18 pups and their handlers for Dhaka’s security forces.
A dog training centre entails procurement of dogs, safe breeding of pups, setting up of kennels, training instructors and handlers besides identification of the land for the centre.
Selection of the breeds is an important exercise as different varieties have varying levels of skill sets. Selection of the breed has to be done on the basis of the requirement of the security challenges to be met and the area in which they are going to be deployed. Training and understanding the behaviour of each breed is also important for maximising the efficiency of the canines, officials said.
Earlier, BSF had trained German Shepherds for BGB. German shepherds, if trained properly can be effective in tracking criminals, patrolling, and detection of suspects and explosives.
A senior NTCD official said each German Shepherd dogs were procured for Rs 30,000 and were trained for six months before being handed over to the BGB. Their handlers were also trained for six months.
The NTCD also trains canines and handlers for Nepal and Mauritius police besides Bangladesh.