BGB, BSF discuss border deaths and illegal crossing; skip joint briefing

The Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) discussed “border deaths and illegal/forcible crossing”, among other issues along the India-Bangladesh border, during the director general level talks that concluded on Thursday, the BSF said in a statement.

- Prawesh Lama

Even as the chiefs of the two forces were meeting in New Delhi, personnel of both border guarding forces on the ground were locked in a standoff at several places over BGB refusing to take back Bangladeshi infiltrators caught at the border. In one place in Meghalaya, border residents of both countries also engaged in stone pelting when Indian forces tried to send back infiltrators while BGB and local villagers refused to let them enter that way. HT reported on June 12 how the BGB placed armed village defence volunteers at more than a dozen spots across the international border in West Bengal and Tripura. This move came amid India’s mounting crackdown on undocumented immigrants from the neighbouring country and a policy of sending back people suspected of dubious citizenship.