The first BSF-BGB talks after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government were held in New Delhi
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.
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 the lead security and intelligence-gathering agency for this front.
This time too, the BSF’s major agenda points were prevention against attack/ assault/ abuse on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh-based criminals/ miscreants, joint efforts to prevent trans-border crimes, action against Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) in Bangladesh, issues related to border infrastructure, construction of single-row fence (SRF), joint efforts for effective implementation of coordinated border management plan (CBMP), confidence building measures (CBM) and other miscellaneous activities.
Likewise, the BGB agenda included prevention of border crimes, border violation/ illegal crossing/ intrusion into Bangladesh territory by BSF/ Indian police/ Indian nationals, smugglers and miscreants, killing at border, issues related to border infrastructure within 150 yards of international border, and establishment of effluent treatment plant (ETP) for four canals carrying wastewater from Agartala to Akhaura.
Border demarcation, survey and construction of pillars, construction work within 150 yards of international border, river bank protection works and water sharing, location of camps and movement of armed miscreants inside India, effective implementation of CBMP, CBM and other miscellaneous activities were also on the agenda.
While, Bangladesh’s interim government had said in Dhaka that it might seek to scrap some ‘uneven agreements’ on borders with India, the BSF directed its field commanders deployed along the India-Bangladesh border to take ‘strong action’ in case of illegal construction being undertaken along the front by the nationals or the border force of the neighbouring country.
As many as 80 such incidents were reported across this international border in 2024, said a report quoting the border management establishment in the North Block. Against this backdrop, the BSF has been maintaining an ‘alert’ stance all along this border, especially in the aftermath of the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government.
The Indian side put across instances of spiked up infiltration attempts by Bangladeshi nationals across this front post August last year as these instances are linked to human trafficking and cross-border smuggling. According to the data, as many as 1,956 Bangladeshi nationals were apprehended by BSF troops between August and December last year. This five-month period accounted for more than 50 per cent of the interdictions of Bangladeshi nationals on this front as the entire year saw 3,474 such apprehensions. During 2023, 4,342 Bangladeshi nationals were caught by the BSF along this front.
At the end of the talks, an official release stated that to maintain the highest level of cordial relation between both the nations, as envisaged by its present top leadership, certain key decisions were taken by the DGs who agreed to implement these at the ground level in true spirit.
On the incidents of assault/ attack on BSF personnel by Bangladesh based trans-border criminals/ miscreants, both sides agreed to undertake combined efforts to bring down such incidents to absolute minimum by increasing coordinated patrols especially during late hours of nights to early morning in vulnerable areas and educating border population regarding the sanctity of international border.
Reiterating the need for synergistic efforts to uphold human rights and curb violence on the border, both sides agreed to work together with utmost synergy by enhancing joint patrolling, vigilance, intensifying public awareness programme, undertaking appropriate socio-economic development programme and sharing of real-time information to ensure effective border management without any killing of either side. The BSF is already following the non-lethal policy on Indo-Bangladesh border.
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