From CK Nayak
NEW DELHI, Jan 12: In a fresh flare up in diplomatic relations, Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Sunday summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma and objected to New Delhi’s barbed wire fencing of the international border in certain sectors. The development came hours after Dhaka alleged that India was trying to build fences at five locations in “violation” of an agreement signed with the previous Sheikh Hasina government.
Officials confirmed that the envoy was summoned but no official statement was issued by either government regarding the discussions.
After the meeting, Verma said that Dhaka and New Delhi “have understanding with regard to fencing the border for security”. “Our two border guard enforcements – Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) – have been in communication in this regard. We expect that this understanding will be implemented and there will be a cooperative approach to combating crimes along the border,” Verma added.
Earlier, Bangladesh Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury stated that India halted the construction of barbed wire fencing due to strong opposition from BGB and local communities. At a media briefing, he said several border issues have arisen due to unequal agreements signed by the previous government.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) had earlier stated that the objections raised by BGB posed a major challenge in fencing the porous border. India is facing challenges in completing fencing along feasible stretches due to BGB objections, limited working season and landslide/marshy land and land acquisition.
The statement by the MHA was in response to a question raised by Congress MP Saleng A Sangma on the current status of fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, including the areas covered, the progress of ongoing work and any challenges faced in completing the fencing project.
Meghalaya shares a 443-km long border with Bangladesh. Out of this, 367.155 km has been fenced. Work is in progress in 19.759 km. India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-km border. The border is being fenced to prevent infiltration and thwart the smuggling of drugs, arms and ammunition into India.