New Delhi/Dhaka, Feb 17 (UNI) Border forces of India and Bangladesh began the four-day Directors General-level conference in New Delhi today, amid India stressing that it expects “all mutually agreed MOUs and agreements to be honoured”.
The 55th border conference of the directors general (DGs)-level of the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) began in New Delhi Monday.
DG BSF Daljit Singh Chawdhary received and welcomed Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, DG BGB, along with the 13-member delegation at IGI airport, New Delhi today, the BSF said on X.
“DG BGB is heading the BGB delegation, to discuss and deliberate upon the border related issues and for better coordination between both the Border Guarding Forces,” it added.
Besides the DG, the 13-member BGB delegation comprises of senior BGB officials, officials of chief advisory office, the home ministry, the foreign ministry, the Department of Land Records and Survey, and the joint-river commission, a BGB release said on Sunday.
The border conference will be officially concluded on February 20, and the Bangladesh delegation is expected to return home the same day.
At the DG-level conference, various bilateral issues such as border killings, illegal intrusion, construction of unauthorized infrastructures, violations of international boundary law, Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP), construction of barbed wire within 150 yards on the frontiers, other development works and establishing suitable water refinery to remove the waste water from Agartala to Akhaura are likely to dominate the discussion, the BGB statement said.
Last month, Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said at a briefing that border related issues would be discussed at the DG-level talks.
“We expect all mutually agreed MOUs and Agreements to be honoured. These form the basis for structured engagements between the border guarding forces and facilitate creation of mutually beneficial security and trade infrastructure along the border.”
This is the first meeting of the director generals of the border forces after the Awami League government of Sheikh Hasina was ousted on August 5 last year, and an army-backed interim government took power.
On January 29, Bangladesh’s Interim Government’s Home Affairs Advisor Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that Dhaka will speak in a “different tone” during the border conference.
However, the home adviser, didn’t elaborate on what he meant by “speak in a different tone”.
Earlier, on January 12, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to lodge a protest against the “illegal” construction of fences at the borders.
On the following day, India summoned the Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner Md. Nural Islam to the South Block.
It was conveyed to the Bangladesh side that with regard to security measures at the border, including on fencing, India observed all protocols and agreements between the two governments and between the Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh.
India reiterated its commitment to ensuring a crime-free border by effectively addressing the challenges of cross-border criminal activities, smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking. Barbed wire fencing, border lighting, installation of technical devices and cattle fences are measures for securing the border.
India conveyed its expectation that all earlier understandings will be implemented by Bangladesh and that there will be a cooperative approach to combating cross-border crimes, a statement said.
Earlier, Bangladesh Home Advisor Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said that Border Guard Bangladesh and the people have thwarted Indian efforts to erect barbed-wire fences at five locations at the borders.
He claimed that India was looking to set up barbed-wire fences inside the 150-yard no man’s land at Lalmonirhat’s Tin Bigha Corridor, Naogaon’s Patnitala, and three other places.
