Bangladesh News

Bangladesh and Indian officials led by their home secretaries began a four-day talks in Dhaka yesterday on the longstanding issues that frequently cause unpleasant situation along the border between the two neighbouring countries and to work out a peaceful border management.

Home Secretary Safar Raj Hossain is leading an 18-member team while his Indian counterpart VK Duggal the 16-member Indian delegation at the seventh home secretary level talks that began at State Guesthouse Meghna in the afternoon.

“Peaceful border management will be the key issue on the agenda,” the Bangladesh home secretary told reporters after the Indian delegation met him at his office ahead of the talks.

He said Bangladesh will clear its position on recent border skirmishes. Discussion about demarcation of 6.5-km border, transfer of enclaves and territories in adverse possession, smuggling of drugs and narcotics and trafficking of women and children are among other issues on the agenda.

During the closed-door meeting, the Bangladesh delegation will emphasise implementation of Land Border Agreement of 1974 and two MoUs on stopping smuggling of drugs and narcotics and trafficking of women and children which the Prime Minister Khaleda Zia signed during her March 20-22 India visit.

Duggal also made a courtesy call on State Minister for Home Affairs Lutfozzaman Babar. Babar expressed his hope that the home secretary-level meeting would be productive.

The delegation will visit Sundarbans today and resume the meeting at 11:00am tomorrow to finalise agreed summary of the talks.

They will formally reveal outcome of the meeting at a press conference on Sunday.

The last home secretary-level talks were held in New Delhi on October 27-28 last year.