Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over border tensions

New Delhi: With Bangladesh’s interim government led by Muhammad Yunus opposing India’s move to erect barbed wire fences in five locations along the border between the two nations, New Delhi’s envoy to Dhaka was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the neighbouring country’s capital on Sunday.

Pranay Verma, India’s High Commissioner to Bangladesh, had a meeting with the foreign secretary of the neighbouring country, Md. Jashim Uddin, and discussed the recent escalation of tension along the border between the two nations.

Dhaka earlier in the day alleged that India was trying to erect fences at five locations along the country’s border with Bangladesh, violating a bilateral agreement.

Jashim Uddin conveyed to Verma the “deep concern” of Dhaka to the recent activities of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India along the country’s border with Bangladesh, according to a press release issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the government of Bangladesh.

This was the second time in about six weeks that New Delhi’s envoy to Dhaka was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Government of Bangladesh. India’s relations with Bangladesh came under stress over the persecution of the minority communities in the neighbouring country after the fall of the Awami League government led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on August 5 last year.

“I just met the Foreign Secretary to discuss India's commitment to ensuring a crime-free border, effectively addressing challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking," Verma told journalists after his meeting with Jashim Uddin.

“We have an understanding about fencing the border for security. The BSF and the BGB (Border Guards Bangladesh) have been in communication in this regard. We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be cooperative approach to combatting crime,” added the High Commissioner of India to Bangladesh.

The press release issued by the Government of Bangladesh quoted Jashim Uddin conveying to Verma that “activities, particularly the unauthorised attempt to construct barbed wire fencing, and the related operational actions by BSF,” had caused “tensions and disturbances along the border”.

He also told New Delhi’s envoy to Dhaka that the construction of barbed wire fences without proper authorisation undermined the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries. He hoped that during the upcoming talks between the chiefs of the BGB and the BSF, the two sides would be able to discuss the matter at length.

Jashim Uddin also referred to the recent killing of a citizen of Bangladesh along the border with India by the BSF. He conveyed Dhaka’s “deep concern and disappointment” to New Delhi over such repetition of killings along the border by the BSF. He strongly resented the acts of killing and called for urgent action by New Delhi to stop recurrence of such incidents and to conduct enquiries into all the border killings leading to actions against the responsible, the statement issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bangladesh said.

Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury earlier in the day said that New Delhi had halted construction of barbed wire fencing along the border due to the strong opposition from the BGB and locals.

Addressing a media briefing, Chowdhury said that due to some unequal agreements signed during the previous government's tenure, “several issues have arisen along the Bangladesh-India border”.