Agartala/Silchar/Shillong, Nov 4 (IANS): On the occasion of Diwali, the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Thursday exchanged sweets at various frontier posts along the 4,096-km-long India-Bangladesh border, officials said.

The traditional gesture was appreciated by senior officials of both the BGB and the BSF, who said it will further strengthen their ties in dealing with border issues.

"Such cordiality would further promote mutual understanding, goodwill, and shared trust. Jawans are away from their homes and families and always guarding the borders. On the occasion of Diwali, we celebrate the happy event as a family," BSF's Inspector General, Tripura Frontier, Susanta Kumar Nath told the media.

He said that as part of the cordial relations, the BSF and the BGB exchanged sweets as they further intensify the border domination and friendship besides jointly curbing border crimes and various other illegal activities.

Another senior BSF official said that the exchange of sweets between the two para-military forces was done at many places of the six BSF frontier zones in the eastern region comprising states of West Bengal, Assam, Tripura, Meghalaya, and Mizoram.