Amid rising tensions along the India-Bangladesh border, India has called on Bangladesh to implement existing border management agreements and adopt a collaborative approach to combat crimes such as smuggling and trafficking. The call was made by Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma during a meeting with Bangladesh’s Foreign Secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin in Dhaka on Sunday.
The recent strain in relations stems from the actions of the Border Security Force (BSF), which intervened to prevent smuggling, leading to Bangladesh’s concerns over India’s attempt to build fences at five locations along the border. Dhaka argues that this violates bilateral agreements, while India emphasizes the need for secure borders.
In his meeting, Verma reiterated India’s commitment to maintaining a crime-free border, addressing issues like smuggling, the movement of criminals, and trafficking. He emphasized that the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been in communication about the security measures, including border fencing.
Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry expressed concern over the BSF’s actions, particularly the “unauthorized” attempts to construct barbed wire fences and incidents of border killings. Uddin called for the cessation of actions that could escalate tensions and urged constructive dialogue between the two nations to resolve issues in line with existing agreements.
Tensions have further escalated with reports of retaliatory actions by the BSF after being attacked by Bangladeshi cattle smugglers. While India insists its actions are in self-defense, Bangladesh has called for an end to such incidents and the pursuit of peaceful solutions to border security challenges.
Both sides are expected to address these concerns in future talks between the BSF and BGB, with the hope of de-escalating the situation and maintaining peaceful relations.
