Dhaka, Delhi talk to remove border irritants

Dhaka, Jul 16: Bangladesh urged India once again today to stop killing of its citizens on the borders, that has raised tension along frontiers between the two countries.

The call was made at the beginning of a two-day meeting of senior officials of India and Bangladesh in Dhaka, aimed to resolve disputes including demarcation of an undemarcated border strip, officials said.

''We have expressed our concern over the killing of innocent Bangladeshis by Indian Border Security Force (BSF),'' said Aktar Ahmed, joint secretary of Bangladesh home ministry and leader of the Bangladesh delegation at the meeting.

''More then 50 Bangladeshis have been killed in the last six months by BSF'' a Bangladesh foreign ministry official told Reuters today.

Bangladesh Rifles border guards said most victims were innocent people such as farmers working on their rice fields or tending cattles in Bangladesh territory along the frontiers.

BSF says people they shot were smugglers or illegal intruders making frequent foreys through the porous border.

Bangladesh in the past urged India not to kill Bangladeshis on the borders, but instead prosecute them in case of illegal crossings.

BSF paid no heed to the request, Bangladesh home ministry officials said.

Demarcation of a 6.5 km undemarcated border strip and swapping of enclaves were high on the Dhaka meeting agenda, officials said.

Bangladesh and India has more then 4,000 km of common boarder, out of which the 6.5 km border line between Bangladesh and northerastern India state of Tripura was yet to be demarcated.

The enclaves have dotted either side of the India-Bangladesh borders since the partition of British-ruled India into India and Pakistan in 1947. The eastern wing of Pakistan later became independent Bangladesh in 1971.

Enclaves are small pockets (territories) dwelled by Indian or Bangladeshi people encircled by the other country.

There are 111 Indian enclaves encircled by Bangladesh while 51 Bangladesh enclaves are surrounded by India, a foreign ministry official said.

''At this meeting we are hopeful to find out some ways to exchange the enclaves,'' Aktar told reporters.

REUTERS

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