Management of Indo-Bangladesh border

India shares 4,156 km border with Bangladesh of which all but 6.5 km has been demarcated. It is the longest border India has with any of its neighbours. It is not a natural border and was originally imposed in a rather whimsical manner. The Radcliff Commission drew the border between East Pakistan and India in such a way that it cut across a population that was integrated and interdependent for many centuries. As a result, a number of disputes arose between India and Pakistan. Bangladesh inherited the problem in 1971.

The disputes that arose due to historical legacy are the existence of 6.5 km undemarcated borders (of which 1.5 km lies in Daikhata under Panchagarh District, 2 km in the area adjacent to Muhuri River under Feni District, and 3 km in Lathital-Dumabari under Moulovibazar), enclaves numbering 62 in total in each other's territory, and adverse possession by each other. These issues have not yet been resolved due to lack of ratification of Land and Border Agreement of 1974 by India -- a treaty ratified and implemented by Bangladesh soon after its signing. Thanks to these disputes the border between India and Bangladesh instead of becoming a bridge of friendship has remained a source of tension.

Subsequently, due to the porous nature of the border and disputes arising out of historical legacy, other issues like border incidents of shooting of Bangladeshi civilians by Border Security Forces (BSF), large scale smuggling of arms, ammunition, and drugs into Bangladesh and human trafficking across Bangladesh's borders, cross border offences, and "push in" by India across Bangladesh's borders emerged. Of all the issues India is most concerned about cross border offences, which India feels impinge on its security, whereas Dhaka feels that all the above issues are security concerns for the country.

What are these cross border offences? Both India and Bangladesh accuse each other of harbouring insurgents in their respective territories. New Delhi has accused Bangladesh of giving sanctuary and training to insurgents from northeast India on numerous occasions. In November 2003 Indian Foreign Secretary Kawal Sibal in a seminar in Paris pointed fingers at Dhaka stating that insurgents from the northeast cross over to Bangladesh and are given sanctuary, and that Dhaka is a hotbed of ISI activities. Consequently, a list of 119 alleged insurgent camps within Bangladesh territory was handed to DG BDR by DG BSF during the DG level meeting in Delhi on January 5-10, 2004. But the DG BDR opined that the list was randomly picked and without any basis. He pointed out to me when I spoke with him that some of the addresses on the list were those of Bangladeshi cantonments.

Bangladesh thus denied the allegations and the PM of Bangladesh also assured her counter part during the 11th SAARC Summit in Islamabad that Dhaka would not allow its soil to be used against India. Despite these assurances, the Indian Foreign Secretary of the past NDA-led coalition government in a visit to Dhaka reiterated New Delhi's allegations. New Delhi also added a new and ominous dimension to its cross-border offences by stating that Bangladesh during post-9/11 period has become a sanctuary for Al-Qaeda. Former Indian Foreign Minister Yaswant Singha stated in parliament in November 2002 that some Al-Oaeda elements have taken shelter in Dhaka. The Bangladesh Foreign Minister in reply said that he could not find any reasons for the additional Indian allegations. Despite Dhaka's denials, former Deputy Prime Minister L.K.Advani raised the issue in Paris and stated that Al-Qaeda members were crossing over to Bangladesh from Nepal. Dhaka reacted sharply and the allegations were officially denied.

Dhaka, on the other hand, alleges that there are as many as 39 camps inside India along the western and eastern borders of Bangladesh, which are hotbeds of anti-Bangladesh activity. The movement for Shadhin Bongabhumi carried out by Nikil Bonga Nagorik Shangh and Bonga Sena based along the West Bengal districts of South 24 Parogana, North 24 Parogana, and Nadia is a case in point. In addition another group of highly motivated Indian nationals identified as Hindu Republic of Birbonga is allegedly propagating anti-Bangladeshi activities from it main office in Kolkata. It is alleged that these people are fomenting unrest in the southwestern part of Bangladesh.

Secondly, even after the signing of CHT there are insurgents groups from the area who have bases in Tripura. Priti group of PCJSS and other insurgents who did not lay down their arms following the signing of the treaty have taken shelter and set up bases within Indian territory. These groups create serious law and order problem in an already volatile area like CHT. Actions of these kinds are directly a threat to Bangladesh's security.

Besides there are linkages between the crime syndicates of West Bengal and Bangladesh. Bangladeshi criminals after committing crimes cross over and take shelter in India. It is alleged that most of the top criminals also crossed over to India during the Operation Clean Heart. The media in Dhaka reported that nine most wanted criminals were arrested by the Kolkata police. Reportedly the arrested criminals were released in the absence of extradition treaty yet to be signed between India and Bangladesh. Bangladesh expected that India would deport, the criminals on the basis of good will and understanding.

Interestingly the present Congress-led UPA government after coming to power echoed the similar lines of the NDA government despite its expressed desire to improve its relations with Bangladesh. The issue was raised during the Bangladesh Foreign Minister's goodwill visit to India and the FM once again denied these allegations. Subsequently, the FM, during his inaugural speech at the Indo-Bangladesh Dialogue for Young Journalists, also pointed out that although India alleges the existence of insurgent camps within Bangladesh territory it has not provided Bangladesh with other details like their phone or fax numbers or addresses, whereas Bangladesh has already provided the same for the alleged anti-Bangladeshi camps to India.

As the recently concluded secretary level talks took place against the backdrop of these allegations and counter-allegations there were speculations about its outcome. Not surprisingly both sides, after the conclusion of the talks, remained tight-lipped about how these issues were addressed by Dhaka and New Delhi, except for stating that they have discussed all security issues and have reached an understanding to work very closely with each other. There have been, however, talks of signing of extradition treaty, but that itself would not solve the ticklish issues like harbouring insurgents in each other's territory.

As to whether or not New Delhi made the proposal of having a joint operation against these alleged insurgents following the example of Bhutan is not known. Even if they did, it would not hold much water in the context of Dhaka's denial of their existence in its territory. The positions taken by Dhaka and New Delhi have remained the same as before. No other issues have been resolved including the much talked about Land Border Treaty of 1974 whose implementation Dhaka has been insisting upon since the treaty was signed.

However, though there has been no breakthrough, some significant progress has indeed taken place. What is encouraging is that by establishing CBMs like the hotline and remaining engaged at the Secretary level, India and Bangladesh have taken the management of Indo-Bangladesh borders beyond its management by Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines of Border Authority (JIGB) of 1975, which stipulated two meetings a year at Deputy Director-General level, again alternation between sites in Bangladesh and India, and regular meetings at Sector and Battalion Commander level. This is an encouraging development. The management of Indo-Bangladesh borders is complex and it needs engagement at the political level instead of merely at the field level. It is expected that the new mechanism would not only help solve the cross-border offences like harbouring insurgents in each other's territory, but would address the border management in a holistic manner. It would also prevent any repetition of incidents like the chilling Indo-Bangladesh border clashes over Padua-Baraibari in April 2001.

Since both sides expressed and reiterated that talks have taken place in candid and friendly atmosphere and that hopes have been expressed to find resolutions to theses security issues by remaining sensitive to each other's concerns, there are expectations that other issues would also be addressed and mutually beneficial solutions would be found. Needless to say that addressing security issues requires an environment of mutual trust and understanding. To generate mutual trust India, as a bigger county, may implement the Land and Border Treaty of 1974 and, thus, begin to undertake the arduous task of turning the Indo-Bangladesh border into a bridge of friendship.

Dilara Choudury is Professor, Govt and Politics, Jahangirnagar University.