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Download PDF Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) will ask Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to hand over the demarcated Bangladesh land under their possession at Naogaon border during the upcoming director general level conference in Dhaka.
In addition, installation of border pillars along 35.5km border at Berubari and Shingpara-Khudipara in Panchagarh, demarcation of un-demarcated areas in Muhurir char, Daikhata and Lathitila and stopping smuggling of illegal firearms, explosives and drugs into Bangladesh will also figure high during the six-day meeting starting on October 24.
Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed, DG of BDR, is going to lead the 22-member Bangladesh team while DG BSF Ashish Kumar Mitra will lead an 18-member Indian team.
The second and last conference this year of the border forces of the neighbouring countries, the meeting will be held at BDR headquarters in Dhaka. The previous conference was held in New Delhi from February 26 to March 3 this year.
BDR sources said 1200 bighas of land near Punorbhaba river at the Naogaon border was handed over to Bangladesh after a joint commission comprising officials from both the countries during a demarcation in 2003 found it to be Bangladesh’s.
However, one month into the handing over, BSF set up 12 camps there and the area is still in their possession, the sources added.
“Since setting up of the camps, Bangladesh farmers were forced to move away from the land,” a journalist from the area told The Daily Star on Saturday.
The BDR officials will ask the BSF to install pillars there and hand over the lands to Bangladesh.
The Indian authority’s installation of structures, roads and wire fencing in zero to 150 yards off the border, BSF’s obstruction to cultivation in Uttarkul-Amalshid area of Sylhet and to Bangladesh’s development work including setting up of structures and road repairs will also be raised at the meeting.
BDR sources said they will ask the Indian authorities to stop releasing industrial garbage from Agartala into Bangladesh through a canal near border pillar 2023/6.
In the meeting, the Bangladesh team is also going to raise the incidents of firings on Bangladeshis as well as kidnap and arrest of them by the BSF men and Indian citizens, and exchange and release of the dead, captured and arrested.
BDR sources said the BSF killed 37, injured over 150 and abducted 70 on south-western borders from January 1 to October 7.
Of the abducted, about 45 are still in different Indian jails. At least 50 incidents of exchange of fire between BDR and BSF took place on the aforesaid borders.
The Bangladesh team will raise the issue of coordinated propaganda in Indian media against Bangladesh and BDR. It will also emphasise the need for strengthening mutual understanding.
Other issues to be discussed in the meeting include trespassing and attempts of pushing in of Bangla-speaking people into Bangladesh by BSF personnel and Indian citizens, BSF’s non-response to flag meeting calls, joint patrolling and pillar inspection and Bangladeshi criminals operating from India.
October 23rd, 2007 at 4:40 am
[...] BDR to press for BSF-held land in Naogaon . The Indian authority s installation of structures, roads and wire fencing in zero to 150 yards off [...]
October 26th, 2007 at 7:57 pm
The border meeting must be between two force commanders who must speak atleast truth if not in documents.This report says nothing about the ULFA cadres getting sanctuary in bangladesh and the eagerness shown by Bangladesh for open border without behaviour which should make the other to open the border.The delay in commissioning of rail link(again showing eagrness for infiltration by asking for unchecked railway lines.).This military regime is so beholden to UN for its survival that it follows the dictates of China and pakistan and not independent foreign policy like Asean.The foolhardiness of Indian government in not attacking the training camps of ULFA which borders meghalaya just because the elections in bangladesh is around must be another point(unlike Myanmar regime).Not allowing Indian electric generator to pass the last land border(50km) after traversing the water barge, not allowing Asian highway project just to spite India while it will benefit entire region including Bangladesh