10 B’desh nationals returned to holding centre after border standoff
The group had been sheltering in the open near the zero line in the Berubari after efforts to facilitate their return to Bangladesh ran into difficulties.
Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary has commended the courage and determination of the force’s mountaineering team, including six women personnel, for successfully scaling four peaks over 6,000 metres high in Himachal and Ladakh.
A grand flag-in ceremony of the Advance High Altitude Alpine Training and Mountaineering Expedition–2025 was held at the BSF headquarters on Friday in the presence of the DG. The expedition was flagged off on August 2 by Ashok Kumar, IG (Training), FHQ, BSF, from BIAAT, Dehradun.
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The 25-member team, comprising six women climbers along with support and medical staff, was led by Deputy Commandant Loveraj Singh Dharamshaktu — the first Indian to scale Mt. Everest seven times.
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During the expedition, BSF climbers summited Mt. Yunam (6,111 m) on August 11 in Himachal, followed by Mt. Thugje (6,128 m) and Mt. Thugje East (6,080 m) on August 16–17, and Mt. Mentok (6,250 m) in Ladakh on August 22–23.
The initiative aimed at enhancing mountaineering skills and instructional capabilities of BSF climbers while supporting the “Clean Himalaya: Save Glacier” campaign. In line with the Swachh Bharat Mission, the team collected nearly 450 kg of garbage from high-altitude camps (14,000–20,500 ft) and handed it over to the Special Area Development Authority (SADA), Keylong (HP), for proper disposal.
BSF has a proud mountaineering legacy, having scaled Mount Everest twice (2006, 2018), Mt. Kanchenjunga (2008), Mt. Lhotse (2021), Mt. Manaslu (2023), and 51 other peaks in the past.
DG Chawdhary hailed this achievement as a milestone in BSF’s tradition of mountaineering excellence, underlining its role in spreading awareness on glacier conservation and fitness through campaigns like Hum Fit Toh India Fit. He also emphasized the importance of sports and physical fitness for BSF personnel.
To recognize the feat, the DG announced a cash reward of ₹5 lakh for the expedition team and assured provision of state-of-the-art equipment and training facilities for BSF athletes across disciplines.
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