Bangladesh’s interim government announced on Wednesday that it would seek to review and potentially annul certain “uneven agreements” concerning the country’s borders with India.
This move will be addressed during the forthcoming meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) in Delhi next month.
Home Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that the discussions would cover a wide range of border-related agreements between the two nations.
He emphasised that Bangladesh intends to challenge specific agreements that they believe are disproportionately beneficial to India.
Chowdhury highlighted several key issues, including the situation at Kulaura Railway Station, located three kms inside Bangladesh, which serves as an inter-country railway station.
He revealed that the BGB opposes the free entry of Indian nationals at this station and instead plans to propose the installation of an immigration checkpoint and customs facility along the border.
The high-level talks will see BGB chief Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui meet with BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary in Delhi from February 17 to 20.
Other significant topics to be addressed include the killing of Bangladeshi nationals in border areas, the infiltration of Indian nationals, the shared rivers between the two countries, and the smuggling of illicit goods such as drugs, arms, and explosives into Bangladesh.
Chowdhury pointed out that certain contraband drugs are being smuggled into Bangladesh under the guise of “medicine,” but in reality, they are narcotics.
He also raised concerns over unapproved development activities within 150 yards of the border by India, as well as the detention of Bangladeshi nationals by the BSF.
The upcoming talks will also focus on the marking of the border line in the disputed Muhurir Char area, the installation of new border pillars, and the implementation of a coordinated border management plan.
In addition, Chowdhury proposed the establishment of water treatment plants in four canals that currently carry wastewater from India’s northeastern Agartala to Bangladesh’s Akhaura.
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He also mentioned that the spread of misinformation about Bangladesh’s internal situation through Indian media and social networking sites would be discussed during the meeting.
The Home Adviser stressed that both sides must mutually agree on any work conducted within 150 yards of the border, including the construction of religious structures such as mosques or temples.
“Any such work requires consent from both countries,” he asserted.
Finally, Chowdhury mentioned that the meeting would explore initiatives to foster mutual trust and goodwill between Bangladesh and India, aiming to strengthen bilateral relations moving forward.
