United News of Bangladesh

Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed on Sunday said all important border-related issues including push-ins across the frontier will be discussed at the four-day director general-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF). “The DG-level meeting is held alternately in Bangladesh and India. This time it is our turn to visit India. All relevant issues will be discussed there,” he told reporters at Secretariat. Bangladesh is already engaging with India through diplomatic channels on border-related concerns while the country's border guards remain on alert.  “We will, InshaAllah, resist all attempts of border push-ins. However, these issues should primarily be resolved through diplomatic discussions,” he added. The 57th Director General (DG)-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) will be held in New Delhi from June 8 to 11. A 15-member Bangladesh delegation, led by BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, will participate in the four-day conference. The Indian delegation will be led by the BSF Director General and will comprise senior BSF officials as well as representatives from India's Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs and other relevant agencies. This is the first DG-level talks between the border guard forces of the two countries since the BNP government came to power in February this year.

Visiting Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla on Wednesday said some small issues happening along the Bangladesh-India border can be settled through holding meetings between the border forces of the two countries. “Bangladesh and India have settled all major issues through discussions; some small incidents happening along the border between the two countries can be solved through holding meetings between BGB and BSF,” Shringla said when he met Sheikh Hasina at her official residence Ganobhaban. PM’s press secretary Ihsanul Karim briefed reporters after the meeting. “We want this issue to be resolved,” he quoted the Indian Foreign Secretary as saying. Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also agreed with Shringla, said Karim.Covid Issue  The Indian Foreign Secretary said normalcy is coming back in India after the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic setback. Read: Border killings remain an irritant, FM Momen tells Shringla Shringla said all are alert and aware about the Omicron variant of Covid-19 as 21 cases have been detected so far in India. Covid-19 has mutated 15 times before transforming into Omicron variant, said Shringla adding that the variant has been detected in many countries in Europe apart from African countries. He conveyed the greetings of Indian Prime Minister Modi to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. Hasina also greeted her Indian counterpart through the Indian Foreign Secretary. The Indian Foreign Secretary appreciated the economic progress of Bangladesh despite the Covid-19 pandemic and said there is good growth in India as well.