Staff Reporter :
The Director General [DG] level conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh [BGB] and Border Security Force [BSF] began in Dhaka on Sunday amid nonstop killing, abduction and torture on Bangladeshi nationals by the Indian BSF members.
Official sources said the ongoing five-day [February 18 -22] DG-level meeting at BGB Headquarters, Pilkhana in the city is mainly focused on getting a solution over killing of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals and other unlawful activities by BSF.
Earlier, in all DG-level conferences between the two bordering forces, Bangladesh had raised voice against the same, but the situation yet not changed a little bit. The latest border talk between the two countries is taking place at a time when India has been facing widespread criticism in the international arena for such BSF activities.
In the latest incident, the Indian Border Security Force shot dead a Bangladesh national Tulu Miah, 60, and injured Sefat Ali, 35, along Dharmapur border in Rowmari upazila in Kurigram district on February 10.
On January 7, another Bangladeshi national Bakul Mandal, 38, was tortured to death by BSF members along Chakulia border in Damurhuda upazila in Chuadanga district. The same day, the BSF troops picked up two Bangladeshi nationals Naimul Hossain, 26, and Alim Uddin, 22, from Nitpur border in Porsha upazila of Naogaon district when they went there for bringing their cattle.
In the ongoing meeting, BSF DG Shri K K Sharma is leading a 19-member delegation while BGB Director General Major General Abul Hossain is heading a 28-member team in the meeting. The Indian team includes senior BSF officials, frontier IGs and high officials of Home Ministry and External Affairs Ministry.
On the other hand, the host team includes BGB region commanders, additional directors general, officials of Prime Minister’s Office, Home Ministry, Foreign Ministry, Joint River Commission, Department of Narcotics Control, Directorate of Land Record and Survey of Bangladesh.
Sources close to the BGB Headquarters said various bilateral issues, including shooting at unarmed Bangladeshis on the border, abductions, trespassing, smuggling of arms and ammunition and drugs have got high importance at yesterday’s meeting.
Especially, the two border forces discussed to find a way to tackle cross-border terrorism. Apart from this, the DG-level conference will also focus on detaining of Bangladeshi nationals, illegal crossing of international border, smuggling of arms-ammunition and different kinds of drugs, such as phensidyl, alcohol, marijuana, heroin, sex stimulating viagra and senegra pills.
Besides, the two sides also discussed over mutual cooperation between the two forces about construction of development projects within 150 yards of zero line and protection of bordering river banks, the official sources said.
As a part of increasing cooperation, a six -member team of BSF-run social organization ‘BSF Wives’ Welfare Association [BWWA]’ is visiting Bangladesh under the leadership of organizational President Renu Sharma, who is also wife of BSF DG.
