India voices concerns over air violation by Bangladesh domestic airlines: Govt

There has been an instance of air violation by Bangladesh domestic airlines in June this year. While the matter, said to be “inadvertent”, it was raised by the Indian authorities with the Bangladeshi counterparts.

In response to a question, the Minister of State (MOS) for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita in a written reply in Lok Sabha today said, “Government of India has expressed serious concerns over continuing instances of illegal crossing of the international border between India and Bangladesh by Bangladeshi nationals.”

The reply mentioned that in December 2024, the Government of India had strongly condemned and protested against the social media post by an Adviser of the Interim Government portraying an erroneous map of Bangladesh which was violative of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.

“Further, Government of India raised an instance of inadvertent air violation by a Bangladesh domestic airlines in June 2025, so that appropriate steps are taken to prevent recurrence of such instances.”

On India’s strategy to safeguard its territorial sovereignty, the government said it maintains a constant watch on all developments having a bearing on India’s national interest and takes all necessary measures to safeguard them.

On the diplomatic efforts being made to resolve ongoing border tensions with neighbouring countries, the government said it has taken measures to advance effective border management and maintenance of peace and tranquillity at the border.

In relation to China, the government said such measures have been discussed in several meetings since the October 2024 disengagement, including the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives in December 2024, 33rd meeting and 34th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) in March 2025 and July 2025, respectively.

With regards to Pakistan, the government said it has been raising the issue of cross-border terrorism, ceasefire violations and any attempts of violation of India’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, through diplomatic channels.

On the issue of repeated detention of Indian fishermen by neighbouring countries in any recent bilateral meetings and the steps taken by the government to secure their release and their boats, it said the government attaches the highest priority to the safety, security and welfare of Indian fishermen.

On long-term bilateral agreement with neighbouring countries to prevent the arrest or harassment of Indian fishermen near maritime boundaries, the government said India and Myanmar have signed an MoU on Maritime Security Cooperation in September 2017, to address legal and policy issues related to illegal activities at sea.

“Similarly, India and Bangladesh have signed an MoU on Maritime Cooperation and Blue Economy in June 2024, which includes cooperation in addressing the issue of inadvertent crossing of the International Maritime Boundary by fishermen and facilitating their early release,” it said.

It added, “With regard to Sri Lanka, these issues are dealt with through the regular meetings of the India Sri Lanka Joint Working Group on fisheries, which includes representatives from the Government of Tamil Nadu. The last JWG meeting on fisheries was held on 29 October 2024.”