NEW DELHI: The issue of undocumented Bangladeshi nationals residing in India may figure prominently during the 57th DG-level Border Coordination Conference between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which commenced here on Tuesday.
The three-day meeting comes amid heightened bilateral talks over border management and allegations by Bangladesh that India has been sending undocumented persons across the border without following formal deportation procedures.
Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal separately said, “As we have stated earlier, if any foreign national residing in India is doing so illegally, action will be taken in accordance with our laws. Discussions are currently underway between the two sides regarding reports of some people being in no-man’s-land, and the matter could come up during the talks.”
The BGB delegation is led by Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui. The BSF delegation is headed by Director General Praveen Kumar.
The meeting is taking place against the backdrop of Bangladesh’s concerns over alleged “push-ins”—a term used by Dhaka to describe the transfer of undocumented individuals across the border outside established deportation mechanisms. The BSF has, however, rejected allegations of carrying out any such operations, maintaining that those crossing into Bangladesh are its nationals, who should return to their country.
In a post on X, the BSF confirmed the commencement of the Coordination Conference and said the meeting aims to strengthen cooperation and coordination between the two forces.
The conference assumes added significance as it is the first DG-level engagement between the two forces since the formation of a new government in Bangladesh and following BJP’s rise to power in West Bengal.