India, Bangladesh open crucial five-day border talks

Hoping to chart out modalities for a joint border management system, India and Bangladesh today discussed ways to tackle cross-frontier crimes like drug smuggling and trafficking of women and children.

These discussions took place on the opening day of the crucial five-day border talks between the two countries at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana here.

A 21-member Indian team at the talks is being led by BSF Director General Raman Srivastava while BGB chief Maj Gen Anwar Hossain is heading the 23-strong Bangladeshi delegation.

Officials familiar with the process said the subsequent discussions are expected to chart out modalities for a comprehensive joint border management system in line with an agreement signed during Home Minister P Chidambaram's July 30 Dhaka visit.

They said the joint management system is expected to resolve all outstanding frontier issues, including combating cross-border crimes, and enhance quality of border management as well as ensure cross-border security.

After the first day's talks, BGB chief Hossain said Bangladesh was satisfied with the steps taken by the Border Security Force in reducing frontier shootings.

"BSF has taken steps to stop the border killing as promised by Indian Home Minister P Chidambaram ... we are largely satisfied with the current situation," Hossain told PTI.

He said the issue largely dominated the first day of talks and both sides agreed to reduce the incidents of frontier killings to zero level.