BSF holds 83 flag meetings with B’desh counterparts; stresses on safety of Indians, minorities

NEW DELHI — The Border Security Force (BSF) held 83 flag meetings with Bangladesh’s border guarding force BGB in the last three days and impressed upon the need to protect Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in the neighbouring county in the wake of the unrest there.

Besides, the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had around 241 simultaneous coordinating patrolling in vulnerable border areas, officials said here on Tuesday.

A high-level committee, set up by the Union Home Ministry to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh border, contacted their counterparts in Bangladesh.

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In conformity with the directions of the home ministry, a meeting of the high-level committee was held on August 10. Further, on directions of the Director General of the BSF, members of the committee made the communication with their counterpart, an official said.

In order to reach out to counterparts up to the Border Outpost and company commander levels, both the border guarding forces, have had around 83 flag meetings at various levels in the last three days.

The BGB has not only been cooperating with the BSF along the international border on operational matters but is also taking all steps for the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh in collaboration with their civil authorities, the official said.

While appreciating the BGB’s role in preventing the Bangladeshi nationals from coming to the border, the BSF authorities impressed upon ensuring the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh, another official said.

On August 9, when 1500 Bangladeshi nationals had assembled near zero line on the Coochbehar-Lalmonirhat district border inside Bangladesh, the BGB made efforts in collaboration with civil authorities of Bangladesh’s Lalmonirhat district to persuade them to return, the official said.

Bilateral field meetings, matters related to border security and other mutual interests have also been discussed by the two border guarding forces. Also, BSF local commanders devised channels for effective coordinated mechanism to share real-time information on various operational matters with the BGB.

In addition, 232 meetings have also been conducted with the Indian villagers residing along the international border to make them aware of the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and to seek their cooperation in border management.

The BSF is in active communication with the BGB at all levels through available channels to monitor the security scenario and prepared to address any kind of unforeseen situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border, the official said.

The prevailing situation in Bangladesh arose after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government following widespread student protests and violence and the subsequent formation of an interim dispensation.

The Narendra Modi government on August 9 had constituted the high-level committee, headed by an Additional Director General rank officer of the BSF, to monitor the situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border in the wake of the ongoing state of affairs in the neighbouring country.

The committee is supposed to be in touch with counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus and other minority communities living there.