India, Bangladesh Border Forces Agree on Increasing Coordinated Patrols

NEW DELHI: Border Security Force (BSF) and its Bangladeshi counterpart Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) on Saturday agreed to work towards bringing down the border killing incidents to zero by increasing coordinated patrols in areas vulnerable to cattle and drug/narcotics smuggling, educating border population about the sanctity of international border and preventing criminals from crossing over.
At the 48th DG-level talks between BSF and BGB that concluded in Dhaka on Saturday, DG BSF Rajni Kant Misra assured DG BGB Major General Md Shafeenul Islam that BSF exercised maximum restraint and fired only in rarest situations, like when a large numbers number of miscreants threaten BSF troops with sharp-edged weapons, dahs, stones etc.

He informed that one BSF trooper had lost his life and 39 personnel grievously injured in “last few months” while preventing such crimes. All miscreants however died in such firing on Indian soil, he added.
The BSF DG asserted that “we use the policy of non-lethal weapon on the borders out of our concern for human rights in general and particularly the lives of Bangladeshi nationals”.
During the talks, both sides highlighted the importance of coordinated border management programme (CBMP) in curbing the menace of trans border crimes. It was decided that effective steps would be taken for prevention of human trafficking and illegal crossing of IB. Both the delegations agreed to aid victims of human trafficking and to facilitate their timely rescue and rehabilitation, as per the law of land.
DG BSF appreciated the cooperation extended by BGB and other security forces of Bangladesh against Indian insurgent groups (IIGs) and sought further cooperation from BGB for destruction of reported hideouts of IIGs in Bangladesh.
Both sides agreed that all the inadvertent crossers be handed over to concerned force immediately as per the provisions of CBMP. Effective steps were stressed for preventing smuggling of arms, explosives, drugs, gold and FICN across the IB.
BSF and BGB consented to pursuing and sharing real time-information, including preliminary questioning report as applicable about the persons apprehended with smuggled items.
Both side mutually agreed to solve the pending issues regarding development works including single row fencing of integrated check posts and land customs stations with in 150 yards of IB by joint verification/re-verification of appropriate levels as early as possible
The two DGs exchanged list of criminals/smugglers operating in bordering areas and asked assistance to address the issue.
The next DG-level conference will be held in New Delhi, preferably with in first week of November 2019.

Source:ToI

Image Courtesy: BangladeshNews