Bangladesh summons Indian envoy over rising border tensions

Tensions flared between Bangladesh and India on Sunday after the neighboring country summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma. Bangladesh’s foreign ministry expressed deep concern over the recent activities of India’s Border Security Force (BSF). The summons came hours after Dhaka accused India of attempting to construct fences at five locations along the Indo-Bangla border, claiming this violated a bilateral agreement.

Verma met with Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Jashim Uddin to discuss the matter. Following the meeting, he stated, “I just met the Foreign Secretary to discuss India’s commitment to ensuring a crime-free border, addressing challenges such as smuggling, criminal movements, and trafficking.”

He further explained that India had an understanding regarding border fencing for security and that BSF and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had been in communication on the issue. Verma expressed hope that these understandings would be implemented and that both countries would work together to combat crime.

Earlier, Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury had claimed that India had halted construction of the barbed wire fencing along the border after strong opposition from the BGB and local residents. Bangladesh’s Foreign Ministry supported this claim, stating that the unauthorized attempt by BSF to construct fences had caused tensions.

The ministry emphasized that the construction of fences without proper authorization undermined the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two nations.

The Foreign Secretary expressed hopes that upcoming BGB-BSF DG Level Talks would help resolve the issue. He also referred to the recent killing of a Bangladesh citizen in Sunamganj by the BSF, strongly condemning the act. He called for urgent action from Indian authorities to prevent such incidents in the future. Additionally, he urged India to investigate all border killings and take action against those responsible.

The diplomatic friction highlights the ongoing challenges in maintaining peace and security along the shared border. As both sides work toward a solution, the discussions and actions in the coming weeks will be crucial in determining the future of the relationship between the two neighboring countries.