The South Asian neighbors will take measures to prevent unauthorized movements of people, construction disputes, and cross-border crime
India and Bangladesh have signed an agreement to curb illegal immigration and prevent airspace violations through real-time intelligence sharing, the Hindustan Times newspaper said on Friday.
The border chiefs of the South Asian neighbors signed the agreement in Dhaka on Thursday during director general-level talks, according to the report. The agreement also calls for addressing construction disputes along the border and cross-border crime. India and Bangladesh share an over 4,000km border.
The Dhaka meeting addressed Bangladesh’s concerns about Indian construction projects along the border. Both sides agreed to work together to obtain approval from their respective higher authorities for development projects within 150 yards of the international border, the report added.
The two sides also agreed to collaborate on joint actions against insurgent groups, facilitate riverbank protection projects approved by the Joint River Commission, and work together to educate local communities in border villages about the risks of illegal crossings and human trafficking.
The Bangladeshi authorities expressed concern about reported cases of illegal deportations of Indian and Myanmar nationals. However, Indian officials reiterated that repatriations take place through established and mutually agreed-upon procedures.
Dhaka also took up the issue of Bangladeshi nationals being shot at by Indian guards at the border, according to the report. New Delhi, however, responded that its personnel only open fire in self-defense and that India’s border force personnel wear body-mounted cameras, thus providing video evidence of their actions.
Varying claims have been made about the number of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants in India, with some estimates putting the number at 20 million. Dhaka has periodically disputed such figures.
India has deported at least 2,000 alleged illegal Bangladeshi immigrants since May, according to the newspaper Indian Express.
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