The chiefs of India and Bangladesh’s border guarding forces are scheduled to meet in Dhaka from August 25 to August 28 for the Director General (DG)-level border coordination conference, people aware of the development said on Friday. The Indian delegation will be led by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary, while the Bangladesh side will be headed by Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, chief of the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).
This will mark the second round of DG-level talks between the two forces since the political regime change in Bangladesh on August 5, 2024, which resulted in Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina fleeing the country and seeking asylum in India.
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In a statement, BSF said the discussions will focus on action against Indian Insurgent Groups (IIGs) operating in Bangladesh, border infrastructure issues, assaults on BSF personnel and Indian civilians by Bangladesh-based miscreants, prevention of trans-border crimes, construction of a single-row fence, and joint efforts for implementing coordinated border management plans.
The BSF statement does not specifically mention the issue of Bangladeshi intruders using the unfenced border areas to enter India illegally, but people aware of the matter said this is a major topic that will be included in the discussion related to the border management plan.
The last DG-level meeting was hosted by the BSF in New Delhi from February 17 to February 20, 2025.
{{/usCountry}}The last DG-level meeting was hosted by the BSF in New Delhi from February 17 to February 20, 2025.
{{/usCountry}}These bi-annual talks are held alternately in India and Bangladesh. During the February talks—held within months after the new government took office in Bangladesh—the two chiefs agreed to conduct joint inspections and surveys at disputed fence construction sites. However, BSF personnel on the ground have confirmed that BGB forces have blocked fence construction at several locations, despite earlier agreements reached under the previous regime.
According to the officials, approximately a dozen sites remain unresolved where the two sides have yet to reach a compromise on constructing a single-row fence within 150 meters of the border.
The Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities (1975) recommend regular contact between the border forces of both nations to address administrative concerns. The first such meeting was held in December 1975. Following discussions between the home secretaries of India and Bangladesh in Dhaka from October 7 to 9, 1993, it was agreed that DG-level meetings would be held twice a year.