Border deaths, push-ins back in focus
Growing concerns over border security, civilian casualties, migration management and fencing disputes are expected to feature prominently during high-level talks between the border forces of Bangladesh and India in New Delhi next week.
The director general-level conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) is scheduled to take place from 8 to 11 June, amid renewed attention to security, humanitarian and border management issues along one of the world’s longest international frontiers.
The meeting comes as both countries continue efforts to maintain stability along the border despite recurring incidents that have complicated the implementation of their shared objective of minimising civilian casualties.
Bangladesh has consistently raised concerns regarding the deaths of its nationals along the border.
According to rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK), at least six Bangladeshis were killed or injured in incidents involving BSF firing or alleged torture between January and 9 May this year.
ASK data further shows that 594 Bangladeshis were killed by the BSF between 2009 and 2023.
The issue remains a sensitive aspect of bilateral relations.
Observers note that concerns over accountability in border-related deaths continue to affect confidence-building efforts between the two neighbouring countries.
“The killings go uninvestigated and unpunished.
We have yet to see justice served, even in the high-profile Felani Khatun case,” Sheikh Shams Morsalin, Associate Professor of International Relations at Dhaka University, told The New Nation.
Felani Khatun, a Bangladeshi teenager who was shot dead by BSF personnel in January 2011, remains a widely recognised symbol of the human impact of border violence and Bangladesh’s longstanding calls for accountability.
Migration-related developments have also emerged as an important issue in recent weeks.
Indian authorities have reportedly increased surveillance and verification measures in several border areas, particularly in West Bengal, where individuals suspected of residing without valid documentation have been subject to identity and nationality verification procedures.
Temporary holding facilities have reportedly been established in frontier areas, including near the Hakimpur border, where document checks, biometric registration and nationality verification are being conducted before any repatriation process.
The developments follow increased political attention to migration and border security issues in West Bengal.
Indian Home Minister Amit Shah has also reiterated New Delhi’s commitment to strengthening measures against illegal infiltration and accelerating border infrastructure projects, including fencing along sensitive sections of the frontier.
Bangladesh has maintained that any repatriation of individuals claiming Bangladeshi nationality should be conducted through established legal and diplomatic channels following proper verification of citizenship.
On the Bangladesh side, BGB has reported several recent incidents involving suspected push-ins and attempts at unauthorised border crossings.
In Chuadanga’s Darshana border area, BGB personnel recently detained 10 individuals, including women and children, who were allegedly attempting to enter Bangladesh illegally.
Officials said preliminary assessments suggested the possibility that they had been pushed in from the Indian side, although investigations remain ongoing.
The incident is among a number of recent cases that have heightened concerns in Dhaka regarding irregular cross-border movements amid India’s ongoing verification campaign.
Bangladesh has also strengthened border monitoring in sensitive areas and has raised objections to fencing and infrastructure construction by Indian authorities in locations where boundary demarcation issues remain unresolved or where Bangladesh believes agreed procedures have not been fully followed.
Officials say such measures are intended to protect Bangladesh’s interests and maintain the status quo under existing bilateral agreements.
Against this backdrop, the upcoming BGB-BSF conference is being viewed as an important opportunity for both sides to address longstanding concerns and emerging challenges.
The Bangladesh delegation will be led by BGB Director General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui, while BSF Director General Praveen Kumar will head the Indian delegation.
According to diplomatic and security officials, discussions are expected to cover border killings, alleged push-ins, repatriation procedures for undocumented migrants, smuggling, infrastructure development near the border, river management and implementation of the Integrated Border Management Plan.
A senior BGB official said Bangladesh would place particular emphasis on preventing civilian deaths along the frontier.
“We will strongly raise the issue of border killings,” the official said ahead of the conference.
The meeting will be the first director general-level border conference since the formation of Bangladesh’s BNP-led government and comes at a time when border issues are increasingly influencing broader bilateral relations.
Observers believe the talks will provide an opportunity for both countries to strengthen cooperation, address outstanding concerns and explore practical measures aimed at reducing violence, improving coordination and enhancing stability along the shared border.
