Border Security Force India, Bangladesh border forces resolve to strengthen ties

The border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh have agreed to enhance their relations and initiate a slew of friendly measures to increase cooperation between them. A delegation of India's Border Security Force (BSF) today returned after a five-day visit to Dhaka for the Director General-level talks with their counterparts Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB).

For the first time, it has been decided that senior officials of both the paramilitary forces will attend the Raising Day celebrations of each other. The two sides, during their interaction, also decided to effectively combat smugglers of narcotics and other medicinal drugs across the 4,096 kilometre border.

"On security-related issues, both sides reiterated their commitment to continue active mutual cooperation and decided to adopt multiple channels of communication between the commanders at the root level for quick and timely decisions in case of incidents in the border," a BSF statement, based on the joint discussion between the forces, said.

"To prevent smuggling of fake currency notes and narcotics including phensedyl, both sides agreed to continue close cooperation, including sharing of intelligence and interrogation reports on traffickers details, forward and backward links and follow-up of trials in this regard. "It was decided to complete the joint verification of unfenced patches at the earliest," the statement said.

On the issue of illegal border crossings and human trafficking, the forces have "agreed to maintain the sanctity of the International Border and take appropriate steps to prevent such activities."

"Both sides agreed that incidents of death and loss of life on the border are extremely unfortunate and regrettable. Both sides have put in place mechanisms which have greatly reduced the scope for such incidents and have strengthened mutual trust and goodwill among the border guarding forces and people living in the border areas. The number of such incidents has steadily come down in the last few years, the statement said. The DG level meet is a bi-annual affair between the two forces.