‘Impose night curfew at border’

The Bangladesh government has expressed deep concern over the growing number of casualties in firing of the Border Security Force on India-Bangladesh border, particularly in night hours, in north-eastern states.

Disclosing that the issue came up for discussion in a home secretary-level meeting of the joint working group in Dhaka, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that the joint working group has taken up this issue seriously and suggested that the Boarder Guards of Bangladesh should also start practice of imposing night curfew along the international border in order to check casualty and trans-border crimes.

Indicating that the BSF has been forced to resort to open fire to impose night curfew and check the trans-border crimes between the two countries, security sources said that joint working group also took up the issue of some top insurgent leaders taking shelter across the border.

Pointing out that Dhaka has handed over at least 17 prominent insurgent leaders to India and 11 others surrendered since 2001, security sources said that the joint working group has also informed its counterpart in Dhaka that a top Ulfa leader, Drishti Rajkhowa, and the top leadership of the GNLF, NLFT are still taking shelter in Bangladesh.

Informing that another major area of concern has been the smuggling of psychotropic drugs and fake currency, security sources said that India has assured its counterpart to explore the possibility of banning the sale of psychotropic drugs in the range of 50 km along the international border with Bangladesh.

About the Indian fake currency, the authorities in Bangladesh has assured its pro-active support and the security sources said that fake currencies are printed in Pakistan and pumped into India through Bangladesh.