A Bangladesh tri-service contingent will participate in the forthcoming Republic Day parade this year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of the India-Pakistan war and liberation of Bangladesh.
Britain’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson is the chief guest for the Republic Day celebrations at the Rajpath.
Given the raging corona pandemic, this year’s parade will commence from its traditional spot Vijay Chowk and end at the National Stadium instead of Red Fort. It means the parade will cover a distance of about three kms instead of nine kms in earlier years.
Moreover, not more than 25,000 spectators will be allowed to witness the parade as against one lakh earlier. Also, children will not be allowed to see the parade at the venue as a safety measure against pandemic, sources said here on Monday.
The fly past will take place, they said adding the number of soldiers in the marching contingents have also been reduced as a precaution. As against the 115 marchers in the previous years, only 96 will march down the Rajpath this time.
As regards the Bangladesh contingent, they said it will arrive in Delhi on January 12 and will depart on January 30. Upon arrival, the contingent will be quarantined till January 19. The contingent includes a marching contingent and a military band.
Indian Air Force (IAF) planes will ferry the contingent to and from Bangladesh. The contingent will be carrying their own ceremonial rifles and the personnel will be in their combat dress during the march past. It will also visit places of historical significance in Agra and Ajmer on January 28 and 29 before their departure.
Sources said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has requested the Bangladesh side to include personnel from the Army Units which took part in the Liberation War in the visiting contingent. India and Bangladesh have planned a series of events through the year to mark the 50th anniversary. In 2018, French Army became the first foreign contingent to take part in the Republic Day parade on Rajpath.
Incidentally, more than 150 Army jawans tested positive last month. They were part of the marching contingents for the Republic Day and the Army Day on January 15. Adequate steps were taken to quarantine them.
Giving details of the corona test, sources said, “The soldiers who came in from outside to participate in various parades were tested before putting them into a safe bubble. Some of them tested positive. Almost all except seven are asymptomatic.”
These were among the few thousand soldiers who have been tested, the source stated. Officials said the soldiers who tested positive were quarantined at the Delhi Cantonment where Covid-19 facilities have been set up since April.