Staff Correspondent

The directors general (DGs) of Bangladeshi and Indian border guards are to join a four-day meeting in New Delhi next month when Bangladesh side would seek some “uneven agreements” to be scrapped and discuss other border related issues.

“The DG level meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) will be held in the Indian capital New Delhi from February 17 to 20,” Home Adviser retired lieutenant general Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said today.

He said Bangladeshi side would seek to cancel “some uneven agreements” related to border management alongside and discuss other related issues.

According to the adviser the other issues include killing of Bangladesh nationals on border areas, infiltrations of Indian nationals, common rivers, and smuggling of weapons and drugs, arms, ammunition and explosive into Bangladesh.

Chowdhury said the contraband drugs like yaba and phensidyl are smuggled to Bangladesh in the name of “medicine”, which if fact are narcotics.

He said unapproved development works being carried out by India within 150 yards along the border, detaining illegally the Bangladeshis by the BSF and Indian nationals would feature Bangladesh agenda in the talks.

The adviser said marking border lines at the disputed Muhurir Char area, border pillar installations, coordinated border management plan are other prominent issues to be discussed.

The adviser said the meeting would propose installation of water treatment plants in four canals where waste water flows from India’s Agartala to Bangladesh’s Akhaura.

“The spread of rumours about Bangladesh’s current situation by Indian media and social networking sites will also came for discussion in the upcoming meeting,” Chowdhury said.

The adviser made the comments emerging from an inter-ministerial preparatory meeting at his office ahead of the 55th BGB-BSF DG-level conference.

Asked for elaboration on the uneven agreements, the adviser said, “all kinds of unequal agreements related to the border with India will be discussed”.

He said that in 2011, an unequal agreement was signed with India regarding the Tin Bigha and Dahagram corridors of Bangladesh.

Moreover, he said, Kulaura Railway Station is an inter-country railway station which is situated three kilometers inside Bangladesh territory while BGB intends not to allow free entry of Indians there and therefore propose setting up of An immigration checkpoint with custom facility on the border.

“If any work is done within 150 yards of the border, permission from both sides is required. There is no rule to do these things unilaterally. If a mosque or temple is built, consent from both countries is required,” Chowdhury said.

He said the Bangladesh side would ask India to lay importance to the issue in future.

The adviser said discussion on various initiatives to enhance mutual trust and goodwill between