BGB-BSF DG level border conference begins in Dhaka

A four-day Director General-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) began on Tuesday at the BGB headquarters in Pilkhana, Dhaka.

This marks the 56th edition of the high-level border talks between the two neighboring countries. The formal session commenced Tuesday morning with the participation of a 21-member Bangladeshi delegation led by BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashraful Islam Siddiqui.

The Bangladesh delegation includes senior BGB officials, along with representatives from the Chief Adviser's Office, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Shipping, Roads and Highways Department, Department of Land Records and Surveys, Joint Rivers Commission, and the Department of Narcotics Control.

The 11-member Indian delegation is headed by BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chaudhary. Senior BSF officials, as well as representatives from India’s Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, and the Indian High Commission in Dhaka, are also attending the conference.

According to BGB sources, the conference will focus on several key issues, including prevention of border killings, push-in incidents, and illegal intrusions. Discussions will also cover efforts to curb drug and arms smuggling, trans-border crimes, unauthorized construction near the international border, riverbank protection, and equitable water sharing of border rivers. Both sides are expected to explore joint initiatives for implementing an integrated border management plan.

In addition, the conference will address recent tensions along the border caused by anti-Bangladesh narratives in Indian media, and discuss other bilateral and border-related concerns.

BGB Public Relations Officer Md. Shariful Islam confirmed that the conference will formally conclude on August 28, with the Indian delegation scheduled to return home the same day.