Moving Forward

Subhashis Mittra

The latest round of bi-lateral talks between the Border Security Force (BSF) and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) was the first top-level parley between the two border guarding forces after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Dhaka last August. The last edition of these bi-annual talks was held in Dhaka in March last year.

The 55th Director General-Level Border Coordination Conference from 17-20 February, 2025, in New Delhi on issues like fencing and attacks on BSF personnel and civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants was held against the backdrop of the change in guard in Bangladesh. The dates for these talks were twice postponed last year.

Answering questions at a joint press conference at the end of the talks, BSF DG Daljit Singh Chawdhary said that the agenda points “were more or less the same with few changes here and there” as the Indo-Bangla border is a very “dynamic and active” border.

But, on the other hand, BGB DG Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said while “the broad heads might be the same, the inner text, contextual differences ... (had changes) and there were many new issues under the common broadheads…”

Perhaps certain developments back home post the regime change in Bangladesh were weighing heavily on the BGB chief’s mind when he asserted that attacks on minorities in Bangladesh after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government did not happen. He didn’t mince words when he dismissed media reports in this regard as ‘exaggerated’.

Siddiqui maintained that Bangladesh authorities took steps for the protection of the minorities and gave example of his force ‘personally’ extending security cover to Durga Puja pandals within eight km of their jurisdiction along the international border.

Ties between the two countries came under strain 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.

While Bangladesh voiced ‘deep concern’ over the ‘activities’ of the BSF vis-a-vis fence erection and border killings when they called Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma in Dhaka. India, on the other hand, made it clear to the acting Bangladeshi High Commissioner Nural Islam in Delhi that all laid down protocols were being followed while constructing the fence as it conveyed its expectation that “all earlier understandings will be implemented by Bangladesh and that there will be a cooperative approach to combating cross-border crimes.”

This highest level talks between BSF India and BGB Bangladesh are held twice every year—once each in India and Bangladesh. These talks facilitate both the border guarding forces to establish robust systems through which cooperation in border guarding and border management is ensured.

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