BGB-BSF joint patrol to check killing, torture from March
Indian Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) will begin a joint patrol across the border from the first week of March to check border killings and torture by BSF, smuggling and illegal entry.
The decision was taken during a five-hour long sector commander level flag meeting held at Renu BSF camp in India, said Maj Abdul Hannan Khan, general staff officer-2 of Rajshahi sector BGB.
The joint patrol would be continued through days and nights for two or three months experimentally, he said.
He added that both sides would review the impact of the experimental joint patrol at the next meeting.
“If the joint patrol becomes effective, incidents like border killings, smuggling and illegal entry will be reduced”, he said.
Lt Col M Fazlul Haque, acting commander of Rajshahi BGB sector, led a 15-member delegation while BSF DIG RC Dhoni of Baharampur sector led a 17-member BSF team at the meeting.
As the BGB protested the incidents of killing and torturing of Bangladeshi people by BSF members, BSF officially apologised for the incidents, said the meeting sources.
The issues of killing and torturing of Bangladeshi citizens in the border, smuggling, drug peddling, illegal entry into both the countries were discussed in detail at the meeting.
BSF officials agreed that from now on they would not hand over held Bangladeshis, who carelessly enter Indian territories, to Indian police.
They will hand them over to the BGB.
BSF also agreed not to push back Bangla-speaking Indian citizens into Bangladesh.
BGB officials handed over detailed lists of Indian smugglers, their dens and make-shift drug manufacturing factories along the border to their counterparts.
Both sides also agreed to hold flag meetings once a month to settle bilateral issues and quell tension at the border.
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