The four-day long 53rd Director General (DG) level border conference between Border Guards of Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force has begun in the Indian capital New Delhi.
The formal meeting of the conference began at 10.30 am on Sunday at BSF Chhawla Camp in India's New Delhi.
A 14-member Bangladesh delegation led by Major General AKM Nazmul Hasan, DG of the BGB, participated in the conference while his counterpart DG BSF Dr Sujoy Lal Thaosen led a 10-member Indian delegation at the four-day talks, which will be ended on Wednesday through signing a Joint Record of Discussions (JRD).
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The meeting discussed issues relating to shooting, killing and injuring the unarmed Bangladeshi nationals along the border, and smuggling of various types of contraband including narcotics, arms and ammunition from the other side of the border to Bangladesh, said Shariful Islam, Public Relation Officer of the BGB headquarters.
Infiltration of forcibly displaced Myanmar nationals into Bangladesh through the Indian border and disposing of unauthorized development infrastructure and other stalled development works within 150 yards of the border were also discussed on the first day of the meeting, he added.
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Besides, some other issues, including the establishment of appropriate water treatment plant to remove waste water from border canal flowing from Agartala towards Akhaura; Re-opening of Rahimpur canal mouth with Kushiara river in Jokiganj; exchange of information on possible locations of regional separatist armed terrorist groups' camps and their activities; Preventing expansion of Indian telecom networks inside Bangladesh borders were discussed at the conference.
Effective implementation of the 'Coordinated Border Management Plan-CBMP' to solve border management and border-related problems, development of bilateral relations and various initiatives aimed at increasing mutual trust and goodwill were also addressed.
Earlier, a 10-member Bangladesh delegation led by BGB DG Major General A K M Nazmul Hasan reached New Delhi from Dhaka on Saturday Noon to join the border talks.
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BSF DG Dr. Sujoy Lal Thaosen welcomed and received the DG BGB Major General A K M Nazmul Hasan when he reached Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi at noon.
After the completion of the conference, the Bangladesh delegation will return home on Wednesday afternoon.