NEW DELHI/DHAKA: India on Thursday said “only illegal intruders” were being pushed into Bangladesh following due procedures, as the chiefs of the border guarding forces of the two neighbouring countries concluded their bi-annual talks in Dhaka.
“Push-ins of people from India into Bangladesh are being carried out in line with proper procedures,” Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary said at a joint press conference with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) chief Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui at BGB’s Pilkhana Headquarters in Dhaka.
He said that “only illegal intruders” were being pushed into Bangladesh. BSF chief said that so far, 550 people have been handed over to the BGB and verification was done for 2,400 cases with assistance from the Bangladesh High Commission in India.
“In cases of border law violations, there is a well-established, legal repatriation channel between our two countries through which this process is carried out,” the BSF chief said, replying to a question.
The BGB side had raised the issue at the 56th director general-level conference between the two border forces in the Bangladesh capital. Siddiqui said the issue of border killings was discussed during the talks, as he cited a case in which a young Bangladeshi boy was shot dead allegedly by the BSF.
The BSF chief, however, said his men resort to lethal weapons only as a last option when their lives are in danger. In the first six months of this year, 35 BSF personnel were seriously injured by sharp weapons used by intruders, he said.
“BSF personnel first issue warnings, then obstruct and only as a final step open fire,” he said. The issue has remained a major irritant in bilateral relations for a long period.
During their talks, the two sides agreed to undertake joint awareness programmes, launch socio-economic development initiatives in vulnerable border areas, raise awareness on border security and prevent criminals from crossing the international boundary. The initiatives were aimed at bringing incidents of attacks, abuse and killings down to zero. Both sides reiterated zero tolerance against armed insurgents and terrorist activities, stressed the need for permanent border pillars at Muhurir Char and demarcation of border rivers, and agreed to share information to avoid airspace violations.
Officials familiar with the talks said both sides also agreed to advise their respective media not to spread misleading reports that could create border tensions.
Siddiqui led 21-member Bangladesh delegation while BSF DG Chawdhary led the 11-member Indian delegation during the four-day talks.
The BSF raised the issue of attack on its personnel and Indian citizens by Bangladeshi criminals, drone intrusions and “early” construction of a single-row fence along the border to curb crimes.
This was the first time that an Indian delegation travelled to the neighbouring country for these talks after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh in August last year. After the talks, the two sides signed a joint record of discussions on a host of issues related to the 4,096 km-long international border (IB).
“Major agenda points from BSF were prevention against attack, assault, abuse and stone pelting on BSF personnel and Indian nationals by Bangladesh-based criminals/miscreants, joint efforts to prevent trans-border crimes, action against Indian insurgent groups (IIGs) in Bangladesh, denial and delay in taking over apprehended illegal Bangladeshi entrants by BGB,” the BSF said in a statement. The next such meeting is scheduled to be held in India tentatively in March 2026.With Agency Inputs