BGB, BSF emphasise momentum to developmental, infrastructure activities

Major general AKM Nazmul Hasan, Director General, Border Guard Bangladesh (DG BGB) led the Bangladesh delegation to India to attend the 53rd Border Coordination Conference between India’s BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh held in New Delhi from 11 to 14 June, according to the statement released by BSF.

Meanwhile, the Indian delegation was led by Sujoy Lal Thaosen, Director General, Border Security Force (DG BSF).

DG BSF appreciated the cooperation of BGB which paved the way for expediting the construction of a Single Row Fence and essential elements along the Bangladesh-India border. DG BGB assured full cooperation and mentioned that concerned battalions have been instructed to conduct joint verifications for the proposed single-row fence works.

Both sides also agreed to a meeting of Nodal Officers within one month’s time for sorting out the matters related to developmental and infrastructure works. Highlighting the importance of a Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) in curbing the peril of trans-border crimes like drug smuggling, contraband items, and gold narcotics.

The two sides agreed to pursue and share real-time information and interrogation reports of traffickers (if any) and assured to remain extra vigilant to curb them in order to make the Indo-Bangladesh border crime-free, according to the statement released by BSF.

On the issue of violent incidents along the border and to ensure reducing their number, both sides agreed to work jointly and engage professionally, enhance joint patrolling, and vigilance, especially during late hours of the night to early morning, intensify public awareness programmes, share real-time information and making all-out efforts to bring these criminals to justice.

Both sides appreciated the efforts made for strengthening mutual cooperation through various agreed events undertaken as Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) under the Comprehensive Border Management Plans, Quarterly meetings at Nodal Officers’ Level, coordinated joint patrolling, and identification of the vulnerable areas.

BSF director general stated that the number of sports activities amongst forces of India and Bangladesh at the border should increase. He further said that the two forces should explore the possibility of having water sports activities on the riverine border.

Both sides agreed to continue with all the bilateral engagements like games and sports, joint retreat ceremonies, goodwill visits, training exchange programmes and so on in the days to come. The exchange visits by the media houses were appreciated by DG BSF as proposed by DG BGB, the statement said.

The two director generals expressed their satisfaction over the outcome of the conference. Both the delegation leaders reiterated their commitments to work jointly for maintaining peace and tranquillity at the border. Both sides provisionally agreed to hold the next Director-General-level conference in Bangladesh, the BSF statement added.

India’s Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Sujoy Lal Thaosen on Wednesday said that border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh have worked tirelessly to ensure that illegal border crossing at the border is less.

Sujoy Lal Thaosen made the remarks at a joint press conference along with BGB Director General Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan.

In response to a question about immigrants, Sujoy Lal Thaosen said that the India-Bangladesh border traverses through mountains, hills, riverine and land. He stressed that the boundary passes through several villages, agricultural fields, ponds and rivers.

“The majority of the international border is fenced. However, we have several gaps in between and some of these the crossing over of individuals from other side to our side happens due to the pull and push factor, sometime for purpose of business, sometimes for the purpose of visiting relatives and many for smuggling activities. If you see the figure which we will be shared, the figure has significantly decreased. The pull factor from here are also much less than what it used to be before,” Sujoy Lal Thaosen said.

“I can say that both the border guarding forces have worked tirelessly to ensure that such illegal crossing whether by through a design or inadvertently is less. And there are hundreds of cases where people have crossed over and without knowing where the zero line lies and we have sent them back. We have an excellent relationship with BGB and we have handed them over,” he added.

He also spoke about the steps taken to counter women and children’s trafficking near the India-Bangladesh border. He noted that the border guarding forces of the two nations have an “excellent relationship” and “coordination.” He said that a lot of women and children who are being trafficked have been apprehended and handed over back to their families.

“Both the border guarding forces have excellent relationship and coordination. We exchange information in real-time at the various levels right from BOP upwards and we also have information about some people who are indulging in this kind of activities. And I would like to also inform you that we have anti-human trafficking units in that part of the border which you mentioned and they are working in close coordination with local police and also RPF and other agencies. A lot of women and children who are being trafficked have been apprehended and restored back to their families. The exact figure can be made available to you later,” Sujoy Lal Thaosen said.

“We are also working in close collaboration with the NGOs in that area who have the information and we did find that sometimes the children and women because of allurement and huge money which they have not seen they innocently become victims. However, during the course of the investigation and in a trial in the court I think they do get relief. But, however, once they proceed against a certain act the law has to go through its emotion,” he added.

Speaking about the killing incidents at the border, Sujoy Lal Thaosen said, “BSF does not discriminate amongst criminals. So, when these kinds of incidents happen, usually it is taken as a last resort when the life of a BSF personnel on duty is threatened. BSF believes in use of non-lethal weapons and it has been made mandatory and it’s a policy and we vigorously follow it. However, it has been seen that in a couple of incidents, the use of force by the BSF personnel was probably more than it was necessary. So, these individuals were identified and the proceedings as per BSF Act are going on.”

In response to a question regarding killing incidents at the India-Bangladesh border, “No one desires that such kind of killing should happen in the bordering area. It is not the Indian nationalists and maybe the Bangladeshi. No lives to be lost like this. We should take the measures and that is our great concern. And we discussed at length how to reduce this killing incident in the bordering area.”

“So, we did both the DGs and at all levels we have also discussed this and we agreed that sometimes we have misunderstandings or misinformation about our lower level, ground level forces. So, we requested that the people or the troops working on the ground, they should be well briefed, so that they should not use this lethal weapon to kill any person. So, if we work together. I hope that this killing incident in the bordering area will be reduced,” he added.

Meanwhile, the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh have agreed upon five developmental projects that will have a positive impact on the lives of the population along the India-Bangladesh border during the 53rd Border Coordination Conference held in Delhi on Wednesday, according to a BSF statement.

Later in the day, senior Indian Police Service (IPS) officer Nitin Agrawal took charge as the new Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF). He took charge from CRPF DG Sujoy Lal Thaosen, who had been holding the additional charge of the BSF for the last five months after the retirement of Pankaj Kumar Singh in December 2022.

Both the border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh have agreed upon five developmental projects that will have a positive impact on the lives of the population along the border.

During the conference, five developmental projects were agreed upon, enhancing the joint efforts towards progress and prosperity in the region. This decision is a significant step towards improving the overall quality of life and will serve to foster stronger bilateral trade and relations between the two countries.