Indo-Bangla border meet focus on influx, militancy

SHILLONG: Cross-border militancy from Bangladesh will be one of the major points of discussion during the four-day IG BSF and Regional Commander, Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB) level talks which began here on Tuesday.
The conference is being attended by a 12-member delegation of regional commanders of the BGB and 15 members from the Indian side including the Inspector General, BSF of Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram and Cachar Frontiers, Tripura and Mizoram and Cachar Frontiers.
The talks will dwell on maintenance of cordial relationship and resolving issues together.
Deputy Inspector General of BSF, Meghalaya Frontier, UK Nayal said, “The talks are held annually and last year it was in Bangladesh and so this year the BSF is hosting it here”.
Nayal said that common issues like infiltration, border disputes, smuggling, construction and coordination will be discussed.
Asked if issues relating to cross-border militancy will also be taken up, Nayal said there are certain elements which are operating from Bangladesh soil and it is one of the agenda of discussion. The 12-member delegation of the BGB is led by IG-rank officer Md Zakir Hussain and the team of BSF officials is headed by Meghalaya frontier Inspector-General Kuldeep Saini.
The Bangladesh delegation was extended a warm welcome at Dawki and further at BSF Frontier Umpling. The delegation will be in India till September 27.
The last such Border Coordination Conference was held in February this year at Chattogram, Bangladesh.