The New Nation - Internet Edition

BSS, Dhaka

Director General of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India Ashish Kumar Mitra arrived here yesteday on a six-day tour as frontier forces of the two countries are set for talks to review cross-border crimes and outstanding border issues.

Director General of the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) Major General Shakil Ahmed received his counterpart at the Zia International Airport as the BSF chief landed with a 17-member delegation comprising BSF's frontier inspector generals, and Indian home and foreign ministry officials.

Shakil is to lead an 18-member Bangladesh delegation comprising BDR and other concerned officials at the talks at the Rifles headquarters from today. BDR officials said Bangladesh will ask New Delhi to hand over a demarcated land in northwestern Naogaon frontier and exchange suspected criminals hiding in each other's territory through the BDR-BSF negotiation.

BDR agenda for the talks also included provocative gunshots and barbaric attack on innocent Bangladeshis on frontiers by the BSF and Indian nationals, intrusion of the BSF and Indian nationals, and attempts of so-called "push-in" of Bangla-speaking Indian nationals by their border guards.

The BDR officials said they would raise the issues of refuge and activities of Bangladeshi crime suspects from Indian territory, cross-border smuggling of Indian drugs, weapons and explosives, and "concerted campaign" against Bangladeshi border guards in the Indian media during the meeting. Installation of permanent border demarcation pillars, BSF obstruction to installation and repairing of structures and roads, agricultural cultivation inside Bangladesh territory, construction of military installations and erection of barbed wire-fencing within 150 yards of the border line by BSF are also feature the talks between the two border forces.

The BDR officials said their Indian counterparts also handed over a proposed agenda for the talks that included alleged intrusion and criminal activities of Bangladeshis in Indian territory, violation of borderline by BDR soldiers, activities of Bangladeshi extreme rightwing elements and terrorists inside India, and intervention into natural resources of India by Bangladeshi nationals.

Other issues of the BSF agenda included smuggling of Indian currency and livestock, alleged refuge of Indian separatist elements inside Bangladesh and smuggling of weapons to Indian territory through Bangladesh.

The agenda of the two forces also featured counter allegations of non-response of the BSF and the BDR to offer for flag meetings, refusal to proposed joint inspection of border pillars. The two sides are likely to propose initiatives for building friendly relations through sports and cultural activities.