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Download PDF Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) has handed over a list of 1,591 criminals and fugitives hiding in India to Indian Border Security Force (BSF) during the director general-level talks requesting their deportation.
The BSF, meantime, gave a list of 141 camps of Indian insurgents in Bangladesh territory, a claim the BDR officials dubbed unfounded.
The border forces of the two neighbouring countries concluded the five-day conference in Dhaka yesterday agreeing to show utmost restraint and not to open fire on trespassers in daytime.
“It’s not right to open fire and kill anyone if he crosses the border. Rather he can be arrested and brought under due legal process,” BDR Chief Maj Gen Shakil Ahmed said while addressing a press briefing at BDR Headquarters on conclusion of the conference.
Echoing him, BSF DG Ashish Kumar Mitra said, “On my return, I will issue very clear instructions in this regard.”
The conference, the second and last this year, also reached a consensus about exchanging information and handing over criminals hiding in each other’s country.
Asked about BSF shooting and killing of Bangladeshi civilians, the BDR chief said that 52 civilians were killed by the BSF in the last eight months. He, however, disagreed to term them innocent.
“Only two of them were killed inside Bangladesh territory and the rest on Indian soil. I cannot call those innocent, who cross the international border in the dark of the night.”
“Of the killed, 94.5 percent were shot during night. Innocent people do not cross border illegally at night,” Mitra observed.
The BDR chief reiterated Bangladesh’s commitment to implement the 1974 Mujib-Indira border agreement and the 1975 Bangladesh-India border guidelines for resolving problems regarding construction of defence infrastructures, barbed-wire fences and other installations.
A proposal of building a flyover connecting Dahagram and Angarpota with the Bangladesh’s mainland is under consideration, Mitra said replying a question on Bangladeshi people’s unhindered access to the enclaves.
The conference decided that the BSF chief would request his government for effective steps to demarcate the 6.5-km common boundary, which includes 2 km in Muhurir Char, 1.5 km in Doikhata and 3 km in Lathitila.
On handing over of Bangladeshi criminals hiding in India, the BSF DG said three Bangladeshi criminals had already been deported and more criminals who are facing charges in Kolkata courts would be sent back after declaration of court judgements likely in a few days.
Mitra welcomed dismantling of two “Indian insurgents’ camps” in the Chittagong Hill Tracts recently.
His counterpart, however, refused to term those as insurgents’ camps, saying, “We’ve tore down two bamboo-made abandoned huts. There is no evidence who had been using those.”
There is a long patch in the CHT region, which is not manned by the BDR, he said, adding there is information that criminals hide there for a few days and leave soon.
Talking about the BSF claim of 141 insurgent camps, Shakil Ahmed said, “We’ve investigated but have not found any evidence in support of the claim.”
The BSF chief said he would ask the Indian government to transform the temporary pillars into permanent ones along a 35.5-km frontline in Berubari, Shingipara-Kudhipara in Panchagarh.
Although most of the development works along the border were completed in last six months, some relating to river training and river embankments need to be done under the supervision of the Joint River Commission, he said.
Asked whether Ulfa leader Anup Chetia, now in a Bangladesh jail, would be handed over to India in exchange of Bangladeshi criminals, Shakil Ahmed rejected the possibility straight away adding that the matter did not come up for discussion since it is beyond the BDR-BSF jurisdictions.
Stressing the need for building fence at some points on the border to stop trans-border crime, the BSF DG said, “Bangladesh authorities are yet to respond in this regard.”
Both the sides agreed to take effective steps to stop smuggling of illegal firearms, explosives, phensidyl, heroin and other drugs.
Shakil Ahmed and Ashish Mitra expressed hope that people in border areas would live in more peaceful environment from now on following adoption of positive approaches during the DG-level meet.
The BSF chief proposed frequent meetings at sector commander-level, preferably once a month, to consolidate mutual trust.
Mitra also asked the Bangladesh authorities to send some schoolchildren on a visit to India. India would also send schoolchildren to visit Bangladesh for the betterment of relation, he added.
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