United News of Bangladesh

Bangladesh will engage in talks with India to address unfair agreements signed during the previous Awami League regime, Home Affairs Adviser Lt. Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said. He made the remarks while speaking to the media on the upcoming Director General (DG)-level border conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) at the ministry’s conference room on Wednesday. “Permission is required from both sides to erect any structure within 150 yards of the border. There are no provisions allowing unilateral actions, and approval from both countries is necessary to build a mosque or temple. This will be prioritised to ensure that India seeks permission before carrying out any activities,” he stated. Read: Bangladesh, Myanmar agree to strongly deal with cross-border issues Jahangir Alam said that key issues, including the prevention of border killings by the BSF or Indian miscreants, firing on unarmed Bangladeshi citizens, and injuries along the border, will be raised at the conference. Other topics for discussion include trespassing by BSF personnel or Indian citizens, smuggling of illegal drugs, arms, ammunition and explosives, including Yaba and Phensedyl, into Bangladesh, the adviser added. Besides, the talks will cover equitable water sharing of transboundary rivers, withdrawal of water, implementation of the water agreement, and the reopening of the Rahimpur canal mouth. He also said that drugs are frequently produced along the border areas in India and pushed into Bangladesh.

Indian Border Security Force (BSF) sent back four Bangladeshis, who earlier trespassed into India through the border of Habiganj. Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB) took custody of the four from the BSF after a flag meeting between the paramilitary forces on Thursday. Those pushed back are Akash Miah, 22, his wife Sathi Akter, 19, their 18-month-old daughter Fatema and a villager Al Amin, 25, residents of Gandharbpur village under Madhabpur upazila of the district. According to a media release sent from the BGB-55 Battalion in the district, the returnees in collaboration with two local brokers intruded into India through the border Wednesday last. Read: 13 Bangladeshis detained by India’s BSF across Sylhet border, locals say But, the BSF members detained them on charge of entering illegally, it reads. Upon receiving, a case was filed against the intruders and the brokers with Madhabpur police station in this regard, added the release.

India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has officially regretted the recent border killing and expressed willingness to address the border issues through joint efforts. The BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will also work together to prevent any such incident in the future. BSF hands over body of BGB member after two days of killing Spokesperson at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Seheli Sabrin, made the remarks over the death of Sepoy Mohammad Raisuddin while replying to a question at the weekly briefing on Thursday. Foreign Minister Dr Hasan Mahmud will visit India from February 7 to 9 as part of his first bilateral visit at the invitation of his Indian counterpart, Dr S Jaishankar. BGB personnel shot in BSF firing dies in India Asked whether the Teesta water-sharing issue will be discussed in the meeting, the foreign ministry spokesperson said they expect the issue would be discussed. “In the upcoming visit, there will be a comprehensive discussion on various issues existing between Bangladesh and India. We are also expecting discussion on the Teesta water sharing agreement,” said the MoFA Spokesperson. BSF hands over bodies of 2 Bangladeshi youths it shot dead after 15 days She said it cannot be said at this moment whether the issue of China's proposed project on Teesta will be discussed. “If India wants to know anything from us in this regard, then we will consider the matter,” she added. Seheli Sabrin said issues of mutual interest including trade, connectivity and energy cooperation, people-to-people contacts, regional cooperation, connection will be discussed between the two sides to further strengthen Bangladesh-India relations. Asked whether he will have a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit, Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud recently said, “It is too early to say.” Jaishankar, earlier, invited his Bangladesh counterpart Dr Hasan Mahmud to visit New Delhi at a mutually convenient time. Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma extended the invitation on behalf of the Indian External Affairs Minister. The Foreign Minister embarked on a multilateral tour to Uganda last month to attend the NAM Summit.  He is now visiting Brussels, Belgium to attend the 3rd EU Indo-Pacific Ministerial Forum.

The body of a Bangladeshi youth, who was shot dead by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) along Aunghorpota border in Patgram upazila of Lalmonirhat, was handed over to Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) on Sunday (January 28, 2024) night.   Patgram police station’s officer-in-charge (OC) Ferdous Wahid said Indian Border Security Force (BSF) handed over the body of Rabiul Islam to the BGB through Tin Bigha Corridor in the upazila after an autopsy in India on Sunday night. Read: BSF hands over body of BGB member after two days of killing Later, the body was handed over to the victim’s family, he said.   Earlier on Sunday afternoon, a flag-meeting between the border forces of the two countries was held when  the BGB condemned the killing. Rabiul, 33, son of Afzal Hossain of Dangarpara village under Dahagram union of the upazila, was gunned down by the BSF along Jashore’s Benapole border on Sunday, within a week of killing a BGB member by them. Read more: Another Bangladeshi shot dead by BSF along Lalmonirhat border

Trade at Petrapole-Benapole border checkpoint remained suspended all day on Sunday as Petrapole port halted operation protesting different ‘harassments’ by the Border Security Force (BSF).

India and Bangladesh have decided to conduct joint night patrols in vulnerable areas along the border in order to bring down frontier killings to zero. The two countries share a 4,096km-long international border.

The conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF), which was postponed two days ago, will now take place from September 16-19.

The border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) has been postponed as the BSF delegation failed to reach Dhaka due to a technical glitch in their aircraft.

A Bangladeshi national was reportedly beaten to death by the members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) from a river near Ratnai border in Baliadangi upazila on Monday

Foreign Minister AK Abdul Momen on Wednesday described Indian Border Security Force’s (BSF) attempt to push in a mentally challenged Indian citizen to Bangladesh through Feni River bordering area as unexpected.