Bi-annual India-Bangladesh border talks to start in New Delhi today

India and Bangladesh will hold biannual talks between their border guard forces here from Sunday, during which the two sides are expected to discuss a number of issues related to fighting cross-border crime and measures to create better synergy.

A 15-member delegation from the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB), led by its Director General (DG), AKM Major General Nazmul Hasan, landed in Delhi on Saturday. Border Security Force (BSF) director general Sujoy Lal Thaosen and senior officers of the force welcomed them at the airport, authorities said.

The four-day talks will conclude on June 14 at a BSF camp in the Chhawla area, southwest of Delhi.

“The conference is being organized to discuss the issues related to the border and for better coordination between the two border surveillance forces.”

“Discussions will take place on how to jointly curb various cross-border crimes and the timely exchange of information between both border surveillance forces,” a BSF spokesperson said in a statement.

In addition, there will be deliberations on development works and infrastructure, joint efforts for the effective implementation of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) and Confidence Building Measures (CBM), the spokesperson said.

This will be the 53rd edition of the talks and the last such meeting was held in July last year when the BSF delegation traveled to Dhaka.

The BSF guards the 4,096 km long international border with Bangladesh on India’s eastern flank.

These talks were held annually from 1975 to 1992, but became biannual in 1993 with each party alternately traveling to the national capitals of New Delhi and Dhaka.

A senior BSF official had previously told PTI that relations between the two countries and their border forces are very good and the conference is expected to improve these ties.

The two parties will sign a ‘joint record of discussions’ at the end of the conference.