India, Bangladesh border talks begin in Delhi, first top-level meet since fall of Hasina govt

This is the first top-level meeting between the two border guarding forces after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year. The BSF expected to put across issues related to obstruction in fencing work and attacks on its personnel and civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants to the BGB

New Delhi: The bi-annual DG-level border talks between India and Bangladesh began in Delhi on Tuesday with the BSF expected to put across issues related to obstruction in fencing work and attacks on its personnel and civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants to the BGB, officials said.

This is the first top-level meeting between the two border guarding forces after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year.

The 55th Director General-level Border Coordination Conference between the two forces began at the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters at Lodhi Road here after a ceremonial guard of honour and welcome was accorded to the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.

The Bangladeshi delegation arrived in India on Monday and was received by BSF director general Daljit Singh Chawdhary at the IGI airport.

The BSF had said in a statement last week that the conference is being organised to discuss border-related issues and improve coordination between the border guarding forces.

Discussions will be held on preventing attacks on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh-based miscreants/nationals as well as trans-border crimes, construction of single row fence, action against Indian Insurgent Groups in Bangladesh, issues related to border infrastructure, joint efforts for effective implementation of Coordinated Border Management Plan, Confidence Building Measures and other issues, it had said.

The last edition of these bi-annual talks was held in Dhaka in March last year.

The 4,096-km-long India-Bangladesh boundary spans across five states -- West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

The BSF is designated as the lead security and intelligence-gathering agency for this front.

The ties between the two countries came under some stress after the neighbours summoned each other's high commissioners in December last year over the construction of the border fence by India and some other issues.

The government also informed Parliament in the Budget Session that India has conveyed to Bangladesh that it expects a cooperative approach from the neighbouring country for combating cross-border crimes and this includes the border fencing work.

Minister of State for Home Nityanand Rai said, in a written reply in Parliament, said the unfenced part of this front was 864.482 km, which includes 174.51 km of "non-feasible" gap.

Bangladesh's interim government had recently said in Dhaka that it would seek to scrap some "uneven agreements" on borders with India during the meeting of the top commanders of the two countries' border guards.

The talks will end with the signing of a 'joint record of discussions' by the two sides on February 20.