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Border Guards Bangladesh chief claims reports of attacks on minorities exaggerated
A 10-member Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) delegation arrived in Delhi on Monday for three-day talks against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries
The chief of the Bangladeshi border guarding force on Thursday said India and Bangladesh have agreed to address issues that led to face-offs along the border between the two countries while claiming news reports about attacks on minorities in his country in the aftermath of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina’s removal from power last year were exaggerated.
Speaking at a press conference after the completion of the biannual India-Bangladesh border talks, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) director general Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman said per se there were no such attacks.
The claims came even as India has repeatedly expressed concerns about the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority amid differences on multiple issues after the formation of Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus-led caretaker government in August last year. Thousands of people from the minority community in Bangladesh tried to flee and enter India illegally amid reports of attacks on them and temples.
This month, the Indian government told Parliament that 23 Hindus had been killed and at least 152 of their temples were attacked between November 26, 2024, and January 25 this year.
Ashrafuzzaman maintained the violence post-Hasina’s removal was overall a law-and-order situation. “It was not against minorities. It was maybe a bit of a political problem,” he said. He added minorities asked for security in many cases. “I will not put a number on how many requests we received. There were also many reported incidents that could not be verified.”
He said the Durga Puja held in October substantiated his claim. “It was one of the most peacefully organised gatherings.” Ashrafuzzaman said the Bangladeshi government tasked law enforcement agencies to ensure that Durga Puja was organised peacefully. “BGB jurisdiction is within eight km of the international border. It provided security in many places.”
The heads of border guarding forces met for the first time since the change of government in Bangladesh and agreed to hold joint inspections and surveys at places where they have faced off over border fence construction.
Ashrafuzzaman said all matters were discussed and they should be able to work on a mutually agreed basis. “At places related to the border fencing construction work, teams will conduct joint surveys and inspections. It will be decided whether the fence can come up within 150 yards of the border fence,” he said.
The construction of a single-row fence, the prevention of attacks on personnel and civilian residents of border villages, curbing trans-border crimes, issues related to border infrastructure, action against Indian insurgent groups based in Bangladesh, and the effective implementation of the Coordinated Border Management Plan were among six key points on Border Security Force’s agenda for the meeting.
The two forces have faced off over issues such as disruption of fence construction along the border, BGB’s construction of illegal bunkers, and failure to stop infiltration of Bangladesh nationals.
A 10-member BGB delegation arrived in Delhi on Monday for three-day talks. The meeting between the border guarding forces was routine but significant against the backdrop of tensions between the two countries following the government change in Bangladesh.
