Amid fencing row, border security chiefs of India, Bangladesh to meet on Feb 17-20
“We expect all mutually agreed MoUs and agreements to be honoured. These form the basis for structured engagements between border guarding forces and facilitate creation of mutually beneficial security and trade infrastructure along the border,” he said.
It will also take place weeks after the two countries had a face-off over the fencing of the border, with both sides summoning the other’s envoys.
Top border guarding officers from India and Bangladesh will hold talks from February 17 to 20 in New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs said on Friday.
It will be the first high-level meeting between the border security forces of the two countries since last August, when the Sheikh Hasina regime collapsed and the interim government led by Noble Laureate Muhammad Yunus took over. It will also take place weeks after the two countries had a face-off over the fencing of the border, with both sides summoning the other’s envoys.
“The Director General-level talks between the BSF and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) are scheduled from February 17 to 20, 2025 in New Delhi during which border-related issues are proposed to be discussed,” Randhir Jaiswal, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, said Friday.
“We expect all mutually agreed MoUs and agreements to be honoured. These form the basis for structured engagements between border guarding forces and facilitate creation of mutually beneficial security and trade infrastructure along the border,” he said.
On January 12 — hours after Dhaka alleged that India was trying to construct fences at five locations along Indo-Bangla border, violating a bilateral agreement, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Md. Jashim Uddin summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma and “expressed deep concern” over the “recent activities along the Bangladesh-India” border.
According to Bangladesh government, Jashim Uddin had stressed that such activities, particularly “unauthorised attempt” to construct barbed wire fencing and related operational actions by BSF, have caused tensions and disturbances along the border.
After the meet, Verma had said, “I just met the Foreign Secretary to discuss India’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border, effectively addressing challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking.” “We have an understanding with regard to fencing border for security. BSF and BGB have been in communication in this regard. We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be a cooperative approach to combating crime,” Verma had said.
A day later, New Delhi summoned Bangladesh Acting High Commissioner to India Nural Islam over “security measures at the border, including on fencing”. An official statement from MEA had said that it was conveyed that with regard to “security measures at the border, including on fencing, India observed all protocols and agreements between the two governments and between the BSF and BGB”.
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