Bangladesh, India want effective border management without any killing

Reaffirming the need for synergistic efforts to uphold human rights and curb violence on the border, Bangladesh and India on Thursday (20 February) agreed to work together with utmost synergy by enhancing joint patrolling, vigilance, and intensifying public awareness programmes.

The two countries also laid emphasis on undertaking appropriate socio-economic development programmes and sharing of real-time information in order to ensure effective border management without any killing of either side.

Border forces of Bangladesh and India held the Director General-level coordination conference on 17 to 20 February in New Delhi and discussed the relevant issues.

The Bangladesh delegation was headed by Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, director general, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) while the Indian delegation was headed by Daljit Singh Chawdhary, DG of Border Security Force (BSF).

This highest-level talk between BSF and BGB are held twice every year – once each in India and Bangladesh, which facilitates both the border guarding forces to establish robust systems through which cooperation in border guarding and border management is ensured.

The BSF is already following the non-lethal policy on the Indo- Bangladesh border, according to a press statement after the meeting.

Highlighting the importance of Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in curbing trans-border crimes, human trafficking and illegal crossing, both sides agreed to pursue and share real-time information and investigation reports of traffickers, if any.

Both sides also assured to remain extra vigilant to curb such crimes and to put all out efforts to make the Indo-Bangladesh border crime free. The two border forces agreed to help victims of human trafficking and to facilitate their rescue and fastest rehabilitation as per law of the land.

Both sides appreciated the efforts taken for strengthening mutual cooperation through various agreed-upon events under CBMP.

The two sides appreciated each other's concerns and committed to settle these issues amicably through continued, constructive and positive engagements at all levels, and they agreed to implement the decisions of the conference at the ground level in true spirit.

Bangladesh and India share a civilisational and cultural heritage and host of factors that span virtually the entire spectrum of interaction that is possible for neighbors to have.

Last coordination conference between both the forces was held at Dhaka from 5 to 9 March in 2024.