India summons Bangladesh deputy high commissioner

India summoned the deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh Nural Islam on Monday a day after Dhaka summoned the high commissioner of India Pranay Verma, and expressed deep concern over the recent activities of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India including the erecting barbed-wire fences along the Bangladesh-India Border.

Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh Nural Islam and first secretary (political) Alamgir Hossain went to India’s External Affairs Ministry in New Delhi to meet the South Block secretary B Shyam.

Earlier on Sunday, Dhaka summoned the high commissioner of India Pranay Verma.

Later in the evening, Foreign Secretary Md Jashim Uddin told the media, “The situation, which is prevailing at the border now, is totally undesirable. Recently a Bangladeshi national has lost his life at the border. Overall we have expressed deep concerns to the Indian high commissioner over the border situation.”

Meanwhile, the foreign ministry in a press release on Sunday said that the construction of barbed wire fences without proper authorisation undermines the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries.

Referring to the recent killing of a Bangladesh citizen at Sunamganj by BSF, foreign secretary expressed deep concern and disappointment over such repetition of border killings.

He strongly reacted to these acts of killing and called for an urgent action by the Indian authorities to stop recurrence of such incidents and conduct enquiries into all these border killings and take actions against those responsible.

After the meeting, Pranay Verma told the media there was an understanding between Bangladesh and India on construction of border fencing.

He said, “I had a discussion with the foreign secretary. We discussed India’s commitment to addressing crimes along the border, the challenges of smuggling, movements of criminals and trafficking.”

India has increased border surveillance following political changeover in Bangladesh, and the Indian home ministry decided to raise barbed-wire fences on various bordering areas that are still open.

Sources said New Delhi also gave Dhaka similar messages. The deputy high commissioner of Bangladesh was told that whatever India is doing on its territory is by following rules and the mutual understanding of border forces of both countries.