NEW DELHI, March 19 � While declining to impose night curfew along the international border to curb illegal migration and smuggling, Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) has instead offered to sensitise people against travelling without valid documents to India, warning them about the �serious legal consequences�.
The BGB�s assurance to Border Security Force (BSF) at the end of the 35th Border Coordination Conference between the two border guarding forces comes in the backdrop of the 72 suspected Bangladeshis of-floaded from a train in Assam.
Briefing newsmen after the signing of the joint agreement here this morning, Director General, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Major General Anwar Hussain, who led the 21-member Bangladeshi delegation, said that they do not believe in night curfew. �We believe in sensitising the local population about the consequences of travelling without papers,� he said.
India has for long been insisting on night curfew on the Bangladeshi side. India imposes night curfew on its side to check illegal movement.
Both sides agreed for additional vigilance particularly in the areas of earmarked sensitive BOPs and examine other possible measures that could be taken to restrict movement of smugglers and drug traffickers in bordering areas during hours of darkness.
Regarding fencing within 150 yards of the International Border in the 185 patches, both sides agreed to start the work of joint survey in different areas by joint teams of BSF and BGB commencing in first week of April 2012.
On illegal border crossing and trafficking of women and children, both sides agreed that women and children apprehended on the border be handed by the BSF and BGB, as the case may be, immediately on apprehension treating them as victims of trafficking, said a joint statement.
The two sides have identified 23 patches along the international border. Both sides discussed about the vulnerable patches. Operations on the identified areas would be enhanced and local population would be sensitised not to cross the border without valid documents,� said Major General Hussain.
The four-day border coordination conference discussed the whole gamut of issues including movement of insurgents. The talks mainly focused on implementing the decisions taken at the Home Minister-level talks last month.
Both sides appreciated the progress made in the implementation of the �Coordinated Border Management Plan� (CBMP).
Both sides agreed to intensify patrolling in the smuggling-prone areas. Both sides also agreed that every month nodal officers shall share information regarding seizures and destruction of phensedyl with each other.
On the issue of developmental works within 150 yards of the IB, both sides agreed to inform each other well in advance before undertaking any work through the nodal officers.
The BGB DG was also noncommittal about use of non-lethal bullets on the border to check illegal movement and smuggling.
India, meanwhile, has submitted a list of 51 camps and 22 insurgent leaders to Bangladesh. �These were the information available with us and they need further verification,� said BSF DG Bansal.
However, BSF was more satisfied with the BGB. �We are thankful and grateful for the support and help in tackling the problem of anti-India insurgents, who had taken refuse in Bangladesh,� said the BSF DG.
