NEW DELHI: The Directorate General level of talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) concluded on Thursday, with both sides agreeing to tighten security and curb illegal entries by signing a Joint Record of Discussions (JRD).
During the talks, which began on August 25, DG BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui expressed concern over “indiscriminate shootings and killings of innocent Bangladeshi nationals by BSF and Indian citizens along the border”.
Responding to it, DG BSF Daljit Singh Chaudhary reiterated India’s commitment to prevent the killings by adopting additional precautions and intensifying night patrols along vulnerable border areas, officials said.
The meeting saw the participation of high-level officers from both India and Bangladesh in Dhaka, as the Indian delegation led by Chaudhary included senior BSF officials, representatives from the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and officials from the Indian High Commission in Dhaka.
The Bangladesh delegation led by DG BGB Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui comprised 21 members.
According to the joint statement issued after the meeting, both sides “agreed to undertake joint awareness programmes, implement socio-economic development initiatives in vulnerable areas, promote respect for border sanctity, and prevent cross-border movement of criminals with the objective of reducing such incidents to zero”.
Additionally, DG BSF said in the meeting that Bangladeshi nationals residing illegally in India would be repatriated following mutually agreed processes, officials said.
“Both sides mutually agreed to constructively engage the respective higher authorities for concurrence of the pending developmental work within 150 yards of IB. Both sides also agreed to facilitate river bank protection works along the common bordering rivers as approved by the Joint River Commission based on mutual consensus and without unnecessary hindrance,” it said.
The BSF on its part stressed upon the agenda for early construction of Single Row Fence (SRF), which does not have defence potential and it will be an important measure for curbing and preventing trans-border crimes, the official said, adding that both sides agreed to follow the laid down procedure while erecting SRF.
With regards to trans-border insurgents groups/suspected camps, both the sides agreed to show ‘zero tolerance’ towards any such activities and take concurrent action in respective borders, based on real time information, the officials noted.