India, Bangla border forces begin talks in Delhi

NEW DELHI: Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) on Tuesday began talks with their Indian counterparts and representatives of the Union ministries of Home and External Affairs on a host of issues related to crime and illegal movement along the frontier.

A 23-member BGB delegation arrived here for the five-day director general-level talks with the BSF.

The delegation, led by director general Maj Gen Aziz Ahmed, held talks with the BSF team headed by its chief Subhash Joshi and representatives of the Union Home and External Affairs ministries.

Both the forces are expected to hold talks on a number of issues which are relevant for the security of the open Indo- Bangladesh border including cross-border movement of locals and criminals, smuggling of cattle and narcotics and issues related to Indian insurgents reportedly on the other side of the border.

Trans-border crimes "committed by Bangladesh nationals/ criminals in Indian territory including attacks on BSF by Bangladeshi miscreants" are also likely to be discussed over the next few days, the Border Security Force said.

As a symbolic gesture of enhancing confidence building measures between the two countries, both the forces also played a friendly volleyball match here yesterday which was won by the BSF 3-0.

The DG-level talks between the two forces is a bi-annual affair with each country hosting its counterpart once at its national capital.

The BSF guards 4,096 km of the Indo-Bangladesh border.