India-B'desh yet to plan biannual border meet

The border guarding forces of India and Bangladesh are yet to agree on a date for their biannual Director General-level meet in New Delhi, officials aware of the matter, confirming that the interaction won't happen within this calendar year.

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI:

The meeting, though routine, is significant because it will be the first after the regime change in Bangladesh on August 5, and will take place against the backdrop of a string of recent incidents in which the two forces have been locked in an impasse.

The chiefs of the two forces were set to resume their interaction last month, but the meeting was deferred for a month by Bangladesh. People aware of the matter said that, more than a month later, the two sides could not mutually agree on meeting in the last week of December.

"The new dates are yet to be finalized so it won't be held this year. After last month's deferring of the meeting, there were efforts to mutually agree in December, but that has not fructified," said a BSF officer aware of the matter.

"There have been issues between BSF and BGB personnel at specific points along the border, but it is a minor issue. Issues which could not be resolved will be taken up during the meeting between the two forces. We believe it is a minor issue because meetings of mid-level officers of the two forces are being held regularly at the border," added the officer, asking not to be named.