BGB asks BSF to destroy ‘armed camps of Chattogram Hill Tracts parties in Mizoram’

Border Guard Bangladesh or BGB has expressed its concern over the “presence of (a) few Bangladeshi armed miscreants camps of regional parties of Chattogram Hill Tracts in Mizoram State of India”.

BGB Director General Maj Gen Md Shafeenul Islam requested destruction of those camps at the 51st director general-level conference with India’s Border Security Force or BSF, according to a joint statement issued on Friday.  

Stating the Indian government’s “zero tolerance policy’ towards terrorism, Rakesh Asthana, director general of BSF, told Shafeenul they would take “appropriate action against those camps, if found”, the statement said.

Maj Gen Shafeenul is heading a delegation comprising 11 members, including representatives of the Prime Minister's Office, and home and foreign ministries in the conference held in India’s Guwahati from Dec 22.

The BSF delegation led by Asthana has 12 members, including members from the home and external affairs ministries. The conference will end on Saturday.

Both sides agreed to take “extra precautionary measures” such as increasing coordinated patrols, intensifying public awareness programme, and undertaking appropriate socio-economic developmental programme in vulnerable areas.

The BGB chief expressed his “grave concern” over the killing, injuring or beating of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals by the BSF, Indian nationals or miscreants in the bordering areas.

He urged the Indians to uphold the human rights and make every effort to apprehend the criminals and bring them under the law of the land instead of killing them.

The BSF chief told his BGB counterpart that the death incidents in the border will be “made to reduce significantly in near future”.

Both border forces reiterated the need for joint efforts to uphold human rights and curb violence and agreed to conduct joint night patrols in vulnerable areas of the border as a more effective initiative to bring border killings to zero.

The BGB chief expressed his concern over the smuggling of drugs and narcotics, especially yaba, firearms, contraband items, smuggling of cattle, gold and other things. He sought cooperation of the BSF to prevent these menaces.

Asthana said illicit drug trafficking and the consequent drug addiction amongst the youth on both sides is a real danger that needs to be tackled effectively.

They agreed to pursue and share real-time information, interrogation reports of traffickers and needs-based joint operations to stop smuggling.

Shafeenul expressed his concern that Indian nationals and BSF personnel are “often” entering Bangladesh violating the existing norms or rules which may entail “misunderstanding and unpleasant” situation between the two border guarding forces.

Both sides agreed to continue to sensitise the border populace to refrain from illegal crossing or violations and pledged to maintain the sanctity of the border.

They agreed not to undertake any development work within 150 yards of the border without prior information.  They also agreed to expedite concurrence of all pending development works within 150 yards of the border.