E-Paper
India calls on Bangladesh to implement existing border management understandings
Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma met Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin in Dhaka against the backdrop of escalating tensions along the international boundary
New Delhi: India on Sunday called on Bangladesh to implement existing understandings for border management and to adopt a cooperative approach to combating crimes on the frontier against the backdrop of escalating tensions along the international boundary.
Tensions have mounted in recent days after the Border Security Force (BSF) acted to deter Bangladeshi smugglers and Dhaka contended that the Indian side had violated a bilateral agreement by trying to build a fence at five locations along the border.
New Delhi’s position on the issue was conveyed by Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma during a meeting with Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin at the foreign ministry in Dhaka. Emerging from the meeting that lasted a little more than 30 minutes, Verma told reporters: “We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be a cooperative approach to combating crime.”
Verma said he met Bangladesh’s foreign secretary to discuss “India’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border” and effectively addressing the “challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking”.
He added, “We have an understanding with regard to fencing the border for security. The BSF and BGB [Border Guard Bangladesh] have been in communication in this regard.”
Though some media reports in Bangladesh claimed the Indian envoy was summoned to the foreign ministry, people familiar with the matter said on condition of anonymity that Verma called in for a meeting to discuss the situation on the border.
A statement from Bangladesh’s foreign ministry said Jashim Uddin expressed “deep concern” at the activities of the BSF, including the “unauthorised attempt to construct barbed wire fencing and the related operational actions”, and called on Indian authorities to refrain from “provocative actions that could escalate tensions” along the border.
Jashim Uddin said the construction of barbed wire fencing without authorisation “undermines the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations”, and hoped this matter would be discussed at upcoming talks between the heads of the BSF and the BGB. He also referred to the alleged killing of a Bangladeshi citizen at Sunamganj by BSF and expressed “deep concern and disappointment over such repetition of border killings”. He called for urgent action by Indian authorities to stop the recurrence of such incidents and said it is a matter of concern that such incidents have been continuing despite the Indian side’s commitment to pursue a “non-lethal strategy”.
Jashim Uddin said Bangladesh believes such issues should be resolved through “constructive dialogue, in accordance with existing bilateral agreements, and in a way that upholds peace and tranquillity along the border”.
The BSF said its personnel were attacked by Bangladeshi cattle smugglers on the border in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district on Thursday night. It added that the personnel resorted to retaliatory action in self-defence and foiled the smuggling attempt. BSF officials also said Bangladeshi smugglers attempted to breach the border in Malda and Murshidabad districts of West Bengal on Saturday, forcing border guards to fire in self-defence.
The BGB objected to the BSF’s efforts to fence the border in parts of Malda district last week, resulting in the work being stopped. India and Bangladesh share a border of more than 4,000 km and a little more than 3,000 km has been fenced so far.
Tensions on the border have escalated at a time when relations between the two sides have been at an all-time low following the formation of a caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus last August. Differences have emerged on several issues and India has expressed concern at the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindus and other minorities.
