Key issues including border fencing discussed; next meet expected to be held in Dhaka in July this year.

Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) Director General Maj Gen Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui today said the issue of border fencing was extensively discussed during a meeting with his Indian counterpart in New Delhi.
He added that Dhaka proposed a joint inspection wherever concerns arise.
"The fencing issue was discussed at length in the meeting. We have requested a joint inspection wherever there are issues," Siddiqui said during a joint media appearance with India's Border Security Force (BSF) DG Daljit Singh Chaudhary at BSF headquarters, where the three-day talks concluded.
This was the first high-level meeting between the border security forces of the two countries since the fall of the Awami League-led government on August 5 last year.
Bangladesh has a 4,096-kilometre-long border with India.
Responding to a question, the BGB chief said there was no discussion on revising the India-Bangladesh border treaty, which was agreed upon in 1975. "This was not within the purview of this meeting," he said.
He also said the Bangladeshi delegation raised objections to fencing in certain areas along the border and expressed optimism that these issues would be resolved in the future.
When asked about reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh following the student-led mass uprising against the Sheikh Hasina regime, Maj Gen Siddiqui dismissed them as "exaggerated." He assured that authorities had taken steps to protect minority communities.
"Reports of attacks on minorities in Bangladesh are exaggerated. We received several requests from minority groups who were afraid, but the BGB assured them of support," he said.
Meanwhile, BSF DG Daljit Singh Chaudhary said infiltration along the international border has significantly declined since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government on August 5, 2024.
At the bi-annual meeting in New Delhi, the BGB raised concerns over border killings.
According to a BSF press release issued today, both sides emphasised the need for coordinated efforts to uphold human rights and reduce border violence. They agreed to enhance joint patrolling, increase vigilance, intensify public awareness campaigns, implement socio-economic development programmes, and share real-time intelligence to ensure effective border management to stop casualties along the border.
"The BSF is already following a non-lethal policy along the border," the press release stated.
Addressing attacks on BSF personnel by trans-border criminals based in Bangladesh, the release mentioned that both forces agreed to work together to minimize such incidents. Measures include increasing coordinated patrols, particularly during late-night and early-morning hours in vulnerable areas, and educating border communities on the sanctity of the international boundary.
The two sides reaffirmed their commitment to implementing the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) to curb trans-border crimes, human trafficking, and illegal crossings. They pledged to share real-time intelligence and reports on traffickers and to remain extra vigilant against such crimes, aiming for a crime-free India-Bangladesh border.
Both countries also agreed to support victims of human trafficking by facilitating their rescue and ensuring their swift rehabilitation in accordance with the law.
The delegations acknowledged the progress made in strengthening bilateral cooperation. They expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the conference and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and stability along the border.
As per a provisional agreement, the next DG-level conference will be held in Dhaka in July this year at a mutually suitable time.