India's BSF, Bangladesh's BGB hold talks to strengthen bilateral relations

A Sector Commander-level Border Coordination meeting was held at the Petrapole-Benapole International border on Wednesday between Sector Headquarters of Border Security Force (BSF) Kolkata and BGB Khulna to strengthen bilateral relations and ensure safety and sanctity of the international border. Meanwhile, BSF arrested three Bangladeshi smugglers from Nadia district, foiled a major smuggling attempt on India-Bangladesh border and drove back 13 illegal intruders.

“The meeting deliberated upon important issues of mutual interest including development projects in border areas, implementation of Single Row Fence (SRF), effective measures to combat cross border crime including cattle smuggling, human trafficking and illegal immigrants, BSF said in a statement.

The BSF delegation was led by BSF DIG (Sector Headquarters- Kolkata) Tarni Kumar while the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) delegation was headed by Colonel Mehedi Hasan Chowdhury. Chowdhury is the Sector Commander of Sector Headquarters-BGB Khulna. The delegation comprised respective Battalion Commanders and Staff Officers of both the forces.

The BSF South Bengal Frontier spokesperson N K Pandey said that "The high level meetings are testimony to the unbreakable partnership between India and Bangladesh. Through open dialogue and cooperation, both forces have reaffirmed their commitment to maintain the sanctity of the international border while addressing shared concerns. The BSF is steadfast in its mission to faithfully guard its borders and promote harmony with its neighbours."

Three Bangladeshi smugglers arrested by BSF

The BSF South Bengal Frontier arrested three Bangladeshi cattle smugglers and thwarted multiple smuggling and illegal infiltration attempts along the India-Bangladesh international border in West Bengal.

In an operation in Nadia district, BSF apprehended three Bangladeshi cattle traffickers with three cows in their possession. The operation was conducted under the Krishnanagar sector of BSF troops from BOP Noonaganj, in collaboration with the local police.

The arrested cattle smugglers were handed over to Hanskhali police station while the seized contraband was transferred to the concerned authorities for legal proceedings, BSF said. The rescued cattle, after being e-tagged, will be handed over to the Dhyan Foundation for care and rehabilitation, a BSF official said.

BSF troops has also pushed back 10 illegal Bangladeshi infiltrators in North 24 Parganas and three in Malda district. Interrogations revealed that these individuals were attempting to enter India to seek various kinds of jobs including housekeeping in Mumbai and Bengaluru, people in the know told ET. In a series of anti-narcotics operations, BSF troops seized a total of 1,236 bottles of banned Phensedyl, a cough syrup which is often misused as a narcotic.

In Nadia, Murshidabad and Malda districts, BSF troops have pushed back 13 illegal Bangladeshi intruders and seized 1,236 bottles of banned Phensedyl. They also rescued 18 cattle and apprehended red-handed.

Pandey said that BSF is taking strict measures to stop smuggling on the India-Bangladesh border. The officer further said that we will not allow smuggling from our area under any circumstances.