The twice-delayed Director General (DG) level border talks between India and Bangladesh are now scheduled to take place from February 16, with key discussions expected on issues like fencing and the rise in infiltration attempts following the change of regime in Bangladesh, official sources reported on Wednesday.
BSF personnel patrol past a fence on the India-Bangladesh border at Thakuranbari village, in the northeastern Indian state of Assam. (AP File)
A Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) delegation will meet their counterparts from the Border Security Force (BSF) from February 16 to 19 as part of the 55th round of these biennial talks.
This will mark the first high-level discussion between the two forces following the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024.
Details of the talks are currently being finalized, according to official sources. The dates for these talks were postponed twice last year.
A major topic will be Bangladesh's concerns over the construction of a single-row fence along 92 identified sections, spanning around 95.8 km of the total 4,096 km international border between the two countries. This matter is expected to be given significant attention during the talks.
The joint record of discussions (JRD), signed by the BSF and BGB chiefs at the conclusion of the talks, will be based on these discussions.
Obstructions to the fence construction were highlighted last week when both India and Bangladesh summoned each other's High Commissioners to their capitals. Bangladesh raised concerns over the BSF's actions regarding fence construction and border killings during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka over the weekend.
The following day, India clarified to Acting Bangladeshi High Commissioner Nural Islam in Delhi that all protocols were being followed in the fence construction process. India expressed its expectation that Bangladesh would honor all previous agreements and adopt a cooperative approach in addressing cross-border crime.
India is expected to highlight the rise in infiltration attempts by Bangladeshi nationals since August, particularly those linked to human trafficking and smuggling.
Data reveals that between August and December of last year, the BSF apprehended 1,956 Bangladeshi nationals. This period alone accounted for over 50% of the total interceptions, as the BSF apprehended 3,474 Bangladeshi nationals throughout the year. In total, 4,342 Bangladeshi nationals were caught by the BSF along the border in 2023.
A senior BSF officer stated that the construction of the single-row fence is progressing, though there are some ongoing issues, primarily raised by Bangladeshi authorities in the West Bengal region, as well as certain areas in Assam and Tripura. Nonetheless, work continues.
The DG-level border talks were held annually from 1975 to 1992 before becoming biennial in 1993, with each country hosting the talks alternately in New Delhi and Dhaka. The last round of talks took place in Dhaka in March, when the Indian delegation visited Bangladesh.
What took place on Sunday?
On Sunday, the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry called in Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma in response to escalating border tensions. This move followed allegations from Dhaka that India was attempting to build fences at five spots along the Indo-Bangla border, breaching a bilateral agreement.
Speaking to the media after the meeting, Verma stated that Dhaka and New Delhi "have agreements regarding border fencing for security purposes." “Our two border guard enforcements – BSF and BGB (Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh) – have been in communication in this regard. We expect that this understanding will be implemented and there will be a cooperative approach to combating crimes along the border," Verma added.
Earlier today, Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that India had paused the construction of barbed wire fencing along the border in response to strong opposition from both the Border Guard Bangladesh and local residents.
On Monday, the Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner, Nural Islam, to discuss border-related matters.
What is the reason for the attempt to stop the project?
According to sources, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) also plays a crucial role in stopping these projects. “Pakistanis have easy access to Bangladesh and they can use open borders to enter India to criminalise eastern states and West Bengal. The BGB and Jamat don’t want even solar lights in this area, so that they have no problem smuggling cattle," they said.
They stated that the primary objective is to push Bangladeshis into India illegally without facing any pressure. “They can later work as a sleeper cells for Jamaat and other Islamic terror groups. There is a strong possibility that Bangladesh radicals will try to push ISIS cadre to carry out attacks in India. Another reason is the possibility of release of terrorists from jail," sources said.
CNN-News18 previously reported that the interim government led by Mohammad Yunus had freed numerous terrorists previously imprisoned by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, while also granting legitimacy to Ansarullah Bangla Team and Jamat-E-Islami. An intelligence document obtained exclusively by CNN-News18 reveals that splinter factions of the terror group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) are currently operating in India, following the release of top al-Qaeda (AQ) leaders in Bangladesh. According to the document, these groups have infiltrated slaughterhouses and cotton textile factories in these areas. They are reportedly residing in densely populated neighborhoods where local Bengalis live and frequently travel to meet associates and mobilize their cells.
(This Article was originally published by First Post and News 18)
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