The latest round of India-Bangladesh border talks, held from August 25 to 28 at the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka, concluded with the signing of a joint record of discussions addressing several pressing issues along the 4,096 km-long international border (IB).

This was the first visit of an Indian delegation to Bangladesh for these talks since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August 2024, marking an important step in bilateral engagements under the changed political circumstances in Dhaka.

The Indian delegation was led by Border Security Force (BSF) Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary, while the BGB was represented by its Director General, Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui.

The two sides deliberated extensively on border security-related challenges, infrastructure development near the IB, and ways to enhance mutual cooperation for ensuring peace and stability along one of the most active border regions in South Asia.

The BSF placed significant emphasis on the recurrent attacks, assaults, abuse, and incidents of stone pelting on its personnel and Indian citizens conducted by Bangladesh-based miscreants and criminals.

India raised strong concerns over these developments, citing that as of June 2025, more than 35 BSF personnel had already been physically injured this year, adding to the 68 cases reported earlier.

Apart from direct assaults, India also pressed for joint efforts in curbing trans-border crimes, including smuggling, human trafficking, and activities linked to Indian insurgent groups (IIGs) that allegedly exploit safe havens across the border.

The BSF underlined its grievances over the repeated instances where the BGB had either delayed or denied taking custody of Bangladeshi nationals apprehended for illegal entry into Indian territory. These challenges, India stressed, were creating prolonged security and administrative hurdles.

On the infrastructural front, the BSF strongly pushed for early clearance and progress on the single-row fence (SRF) construction project along sensitive stretches of the border.

The force clarified that this SRF would not possess defence potential but would serve as a critical, non-offensive measure to curb irregular cross-border movements, especially crimes such as cattle smuggling, contraband trafficking, and infiltration.

Both sides, in principle, agreed to adhere to established procedures regarding the SRF’s construction and to engage higher authorities for facilitating pending developmental works within 150 yards of the IB, thereby addressing a long-standing area of contention.

Additionally, India raised concerns over recent instances of aerial violations, particularly drone intrusions, which it argued posed growing risks of smuggling narcotics, arms, and ammunition.

In a move aimed at improving operational transparency and accountability, the BSF delegation informed the BGB about its upcoming plan to equip nearly 5,000 troops with body-worn cameras.

These devices, Indian officials explained, would provide irrefutable evidence of incidents such as attacks on BSF personnel and subsequent responses, thereby reducing chances of disputes surrounding the use of non-lethal or, in extreme cases, lethal force in self-defence.

This measure sought to address Bangladesh’s recurring allegation that Indian border guards were arbitrarily killing Bangladeshi nationals along the frontier.

India reiterated that its policy was to follow a calibrated, graded response in line with the severity of provocations and that fatalities, when they occurred, happened only when troops were forced to defend themselves or civilian lives.

The talks also touched upon sensitivities surrounding negative portrayals of border management in certain Bangladeshi media outlets, with India asking for a more balanced reporting that did not hinder bilateral confidence-building.

From a developmental perspective, both India and Bangladesh agreed to provide mutual facilitation for river bank protection work along shared waterways, in line with the consensus-building mechanisms of the Joint River Commission.

This cooperative stance on environmental and infrastructure concerns was noted as a welcome development for sustaining the livelihoods of border communities that are otherwise vulnerable to both natural and man-made disruptions.

A key element of the dialogue was both sides agreeing to engage with border populations more proactively to dissuade them from resorting to illegal crossings, smuggling networks, uprooting of border pillars, and other forms of trans-border crime.

In this regard, public sensitisation campaigns and community-level collaboration were highlighted as part of the evolving strategy to reduce friction and build trust in the border regions. Both delegations expressed satisfaction over the outcome of the Dhaka talks, committing themselves to work jointly for maintaining peace, law, and order along the sensitive and densely inhabited IB.

The four-day India-Bangladesh border conference successfully highlighted and addressed priority issues such as personnel safety, infrastructural improvements, trans-border crimes, and media narratives while providing a platform for improving communication and collaboration between the BSF and BGB.

The constructive tone of the discussions, combined with agreements on concrete measures such as advancing the SRF project, facilitating riverbank protection, and employing body-worn cameras, reflected a shared recognition of the need for practical solutions to longstanding border management challenges.

Despite persisting differences, both forces concluded on a positive, cooperative note, underscoring their mutual commitment to maintaining tranquillity and security along the international border.

Based On A PTI Report