Border issues must be handled strategically: Home Adviser

Home affairs adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury has said border-related issues with neighbouring countries must be resolved strategically.

He made the remarks on Monday morning, December 29, while speaking at a reception marking Border Guard Bangladesh Day at Pilkhana in Dhaka.

He said authorities must remain vigilant to ensure no criminals or militants escape Bangladesh through border routes. He stressed strict action against smugglers and drug traffickers.

He said no narcotics should be allowed to enter the country and additional caution must be exercised in sensitive border areas. He warned that no domestic goods should be smuggled abroad through illegal routes.

Issuing a warning, he said strict legal action must be taken against officials found assisting smugglers or drug traffickers and no leniency would be shown.

He said the upcoming national election must be peaceful, neutral and festive, adding that Border Guard Bangladesh would play a major role in ensuring a credible poll. He expressed hope that the government would deliver an acceptable election.

At the beginning of his speech, he paid tribute to the courage and sacrifices of Border Guard Bangladesh during the Liberation War and also remembered the martyrs of the July–August mass uprising.