Dhaka, Delhi discuss border, common security

Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan and his Indian counterpart Amit Shah yesterday held a meeting to discuss various aspects relating to border management and common security-related issues between the two countries.

The home bosses held the meeting on the sidelines of the No Money for Terror (NMFT) Ministerial Conference on Counter-Terrorism Financing, which began in New Delhi yesterday.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi opened the two-day conference at Hotel Taj Palace in the morning.

"Both sides had productive exchanges on border management and common security-related issues," the Indian home affairs ministry tweeted after the meeting.

Bangladesh delegation sources said they also discussed ways to bring down border killings to a "zero".

Regarding the repatriation of Rohingyas, who were forcibly displaced from their homeland in Myanmar, the Indian side assured Bangladesh of extending necessary cooperation, the sources added.

Both the home ministers expressed hope that the countries will stand beside each other as they did in 1971 in the time of future crises.

Bangladesh High Commissioner to India Md Mustafizur Rahman, Joint Secretary of the Home Ministry of Bangladesh Abu Hena Mostafa Zaman, Deputy High Commissioner Md Nural Islam, Minister (consular) Selim Md Jahangir, among others, were present at the meeting.    

As many as 450 delegates from 76 countries across the world have been attending the NMFT conference to discuss issues on terror financing and other related issues. Home ministers of 20 countries including Bangladesh, the Russian Federation, France, Australia, Indonesia, and Singapore attended yesterday's sessions.

The Bangladesh home minister is leading a 3-member delegation to the conference, which "will offer a unique platform for participating nations to deliberate on effectiveness of the current international regime on Counter Terrorism Financing and steps required to address emerging challenges".

On the first day of the conference, deliberations were held in the first and second sessions on 'Global Trends in Terrorism and Terrorist Financing' and 'Use of Formal and Informal Channels of Funds for Terrorism'.

The third and fourth sessions will be held tomorrow on 'Emerging Technologies and Terrorist Financing' and 'International Co-operation to Address Challenges in Combating Terrorist Financing'.

Bangladesh presented a paper on terror financing through MTSS, hawala/hundi networks in the second session yesterday. Joint Secretary Abu Hena Mostafa Zaman of the Public Safety Division presented the paper on behalf of Bangladesh.