BGB-BSF border meet begins in Guwahati

A four-day director general-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh and Indian Border Security Force began yesterday in Guwahati, the capital of Assam state.

BGB Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam is leading the 11-member Bangladesh delegation to the meeting while his counterpart Rakesh Asthana is leading the 12-member Indian team.

For the first time in four decades, the border conference between the two forces is being held outside the Indian capital, New Delhi.

The meeting will end on Friday with the signing of a Joint Record of Discussions (JRD).

The objective of the border talks is to discuss border-related issues, including killing of Bangladeshi nationals along the borders and enabling better coordination between the two border forces.

Contacted, BGB headquarters' Public Relations Officer Md Shariful Islam said the Bangladesh delegation entered India through Tamabil (Sylhet)-Dauki (Meghalaya) integrated check post (ICP).

IG Hardeep Singh of BSF Meghalaya Headquarters received the delegation.

Later, the Bangladesh delegation went to Guwahati by a BSF helicopter. The BSF DG welcomed the visiting team with flowers there.