BSF, BGB to hold border talks

In the backdrop of the recent close cooperation between India and Bangladesh with the handing over top insurgents, like Ulfa leader Anup Chetia, to India, both countries will now hold a high-level border dialogue next week to strengthen security-related cooperation and clamp down on illegal cattle smuggling among others across the over-4,000-km frontier the two neighbours share.

A 23-member Indian delegation led by Border Security Force (BSF) director-general D.K. Pathak will travel to the Bangladeshi capital for the six-day bi-annual DG-level talks with their counterparts — the Bord-er Guard Bangladesh (BGB) — and senior officials of their home department. The meeting is scheduled between December 22 and 27.

Sources said the meeting is being held at a “good time” when ties between the two sides are at their best and the Indian border delegation, including officials from the Union home ministry and other border enforcement agencies, will discuss measures to further enhance security along the border and brief the BGB about measures put in place to completely stop instances of cattle smuggling and other illegal substances across the border.

It may be noted that home minister Rajnath Singh, during the BSF’s 50th Raising Day on December 1 here, had urged the border guarding force to ensure a total clampdown on cross-border animal smuggling along this porous border dotted by hilly and riverine areas. The BGB is expected to raise the issue of bringing about a complete halt in border killing incidents and suggest the enforcement of some strict security protocols by the two sides to achieve this goal. The BSF, under the present NDA regime, had reversed its “zero firing” policy, saying any attem-pts to fire at the BSF will be retaliated.

The BGB delegation for the talks, to be held at the force’s headquarters in Dhaka, will be led by its DG Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed.

BSF and BGB are also expected to firm up plans for holding the first-ever joint exercise between the two sides in the Sunderbans in West Bengal next month, they said.

“A host of other issues related to activities of Indian insurgent groups suspected to be operating from the other side, smuggling of fake Indian currency, drugs and other banned items will be discussed. Some new measures to enhance operational efficiency between the two sides will also be discussed by the two sides,” they said.

The last time that the two sides met was in August this year when the BGB travelled to India for the talks. A joint declaration will be signed between the two sides on December 26, a day before the Indian delegation returns.