DHAKA: Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Mohd Jashim Uddin on Sunday expressed his country’s “deep concern” over the recent border tensions during a meeting with Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma at the Foreign Ministry here.
The state-run BSS news agency earlier reported that Verma was “summoned” by the Foreign Ministry to discuss escalating tensions along the border. However, a statement issued by the ministry did not use that term.
“Foreign Secretary Mohd Jashim Uddin today expressed Bangladesh’s deep concern to the High Commissioner of India Pranay Verma over the recent activities of the BSF along the India-Bangladesh border,” the ministry said in the statement.
Verma’s meeting with the Foreign Secretary lasted about 45 minutes. “I just met the Foreign Secretary to discuss India’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border, effectively addressing challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking,” Verma told the media after emerging from the meeting.
“We have an understanding with regard to fencing the border for security. The BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have been in communication in this regard. We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be cooperative approach to combatting crime,” he said.
The development came hours after Dhaka alleged that India was trying to construct fences at five locations along the border, violating a bilateral agreement.
“The Foreign Secretary stressed that such activities, particularly the unauthorised attempt to construct a barbed wire fence and the related operational actions by the BSF, had caused tensions and disturbances along the border,” the statement said.
“He emphasised that the construction of barbed wire fences without proper authorisation undermines the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries. He hoped that the upcoming BGB-BSF DG-level talks would be able to discuss the matter at length,” it added.
Referring to the recent killing of a Bangladesh citizen at Sunamganj by the BSF, the Foreign Secretary expressed deep concern and disappointment over such incidents.
He called for urgent action by the Indian authorities to stop the recurrence of such incidents.
Jashim Uddin called upon India to refrain from any provocative actions that could escalate tensions along the shared border.