The Border Security Force and the Border Guard Bangladesh discussed “illegal and forced border crossings”, “border deaths” and other matters related to the India-Bangladesh border during the three-day director-general-level talks that concluded on Thursday, The Hindu reported.
The discussions came against the backdrop of recent allegations by Dhaka that it had thwarted attempts by the Border Security Force to force persons into its territory. India has not yet responded to the allegations.
Since the terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam in April 2025, the police in several states ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party have been detaining Bengali-speaking persons – mostly Muslims – and asking them to prove that they are Indian.
Several persons have been forced into Bangladesh after they allegedly could not prove their Indian citizenship. In some cases, persons who were mistakenly sent to Bangladesh returned to the country after the state authorities in India proved that they were Indians.
Scroll has also reported on several cases of persons who were forced into Bangladesh being brought back to India, as the authorities had failed to follow the process laid down by the Union home ministry for such deportations.
After the talks concluded on Thursday, the Border Security Force and the Border Guard Bangladesh released separate statements instead of holding a joint press conference, as had been the practice in previous years, the Hindustan Times reported.
The Border Security Force said that both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace, tranquility and stability along the India-Bangladesh border.
“Emphasis was also laid on sensitising border population about the sanctity of the international boundary and promoting greater public awareness to prevent illegal activities in border areas,” The Hindu quoted the statement as saying.
The Border Guard Bangladesh expressed concern about the “recent incidents of push-ins of individuals” into the country by the Border Security Force, the newspaper reported.
It added that such actions were in violation of “the Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities, the Coordinated Border Management Plan, decisions mutually agreed upon during previous [director-general-level talks], as well as established bilateral norms and procedures”.
The Bangladeshi force added that many of those forced across the border were in distress, facing hunger and illness, and included elderly persons requiring urgent medical attention.
It reiterated Dhaka’s position that anyone identified as a Bangladeshi should be returned through formal legal and diplomatic channels.
The Border Guard Bangladesh also raised concerns about the deaths of unarmed Bangladeshi citizenss along the border and urged the Border Security Force to take effective measures to bring border killings down to zero, the Hindustan Times reported.
The statement added that India raised concerns about the “illegal migration” of Bangladeshis and Rohingyas into India. “Both sides have agreed to take preventive measures against illegal trans border movement,” the newspaper quoted the Bangladeshi force’s statement as saying.
Edited by Tanya Shrivastava.
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