Expect Bangladesh to honour MoUs, agreements: India ahead of BSF-BGB meet

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday said it expects Dhaka to honour all mutually agreed MOUs and agreements ahead of the meeting between Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) scheduled to take place in Delhi from February 17 to 20.

BSF Director General (DG) Daljit Singh Chaudhary and his counterpart BGB chief Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui will represent their respective sides during the meet scheduled in February.

MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “The DG-level talks between BSF and BGB are scheduled from February 17 to 20 in New Delhi, during which border-related issues are proposed to be discussed.”

He added, “We expect all mutually agreed MOUs and agreements to be honoured. These form the basis for structured engagements between the border guarding forces and facilitate the creation of mutually beneficial security and trade infrastructure along the border.”

During the meeting, India is expected to raise issues, including fencing of border areas, drug and cattle smuggling, trans-border crimes and coordinated patrolling, sources said. Moreover, the objections raised by BGB over India’s fencing project within its own territory will also be discussed, they added.

Earlier this week, Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said Dhaka will adopt a different “tone” (voice) in its discussions with India at the upcoming BSF-BGB DG-level meeting.

“This time, the tone of speech will be different,” Chowdhury said in a press conference on Friday. He added there would be a “stronger stance” posturing by Bangladesh this time.

The bi-annual DG level talks between the BSF and BGB in Delhi will be held for the first time after the regime change in the neighbouring country, following the ouster of Sheikh Hasina’s government in 2024.

Earlier, the bi-annual talks between BSF and BGB were held in Dhaka. The bi-annual talks between BSF and BGB were previously scheduled to be held in October 2024. However, the talks were postponed due to the political turmoil in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Dhaka has said its agenda in the meet with New Delhi would focus on issues, including border killings, illegal infiltration, smuggling, human trafficking, and water-sharing.

India shares a 4,096-km-long border with Bangladesh, 800 km of which is unfenced. India has maintained that it remains committed to ensuring a crime-free border with Bangladesh by effectively addressing cross-border criminal activities. The fencing by India is intended to stop illegal migration from the neighbouring country.