BGB-BSF conference begins today

Killing, injuring or opening fire on innocent Bangladeshi citizens in the border area will dominate the five-day director general (DG) level conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF), scheduled to begin in New Delhi today, said a BGB press release yesterday.

The conference will be held at BSF’s Chhawla Complex, and will formally end on December 29.

BGB DG Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam will lead an 11-member delegation to the talks, while a 19-member BSF delegation -- headed by its DG Shri Vivek Johri -- will take part in the conference, reports our staff correspondent.

During the conference, smuggling of drugs, alcohol, firearms and ammunition into Bangladesh from India, and border management will also be on the agenda.

Information centring different narcotics, including Phensedyl factories and storehouses in India, and their smugglers will be shared at the conference.

Illegal trespassing of border by BSF, issues regarding Indian nationals and Myanmar citizens will also be discussed, said the BGB release, signed by its Public Relation Officer Md Shariful Islam.

The BGB DG is likely to meet with India’s Home Affairs Minister Amit Shah during the programme. The conference will end formally through signing of a “joint record of discussions” by the two sides on December 29.

The BGB  delegation will leave India for Dhaka on December 30, added the press release.

According to a BSF press release, 20 issues, including illegal migration, human trafficking, “preventing attacks on BSF and Indian civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants”, and joint efforts to prevent trans-border crimes will be discussed, reports our correspondent in New Delhi.