BSF and BDR exchange points for Shillong meeting

Dawki, Indo-Bangla border, Jan 27 (UNI) The Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) today exchanged agenda points for the next four-day biennial conference, beginning from February 11.

The annual conference between the two frontier guards will be held at the BSF (Assam-Meghalaya) Frontier here. The ten-member BDR team will be led by Deputy Director General Brigadier General M A Bari.

Mr Himmat Singh, BSF Inspector General for the Cachar-Mizoram frontiers, will lead the Indian team at the talks. He will be assisted by Inspector Generals of Assam-Meghalaya and Tripura Frontier, P K Mishra and J A Khan.

The BSF is likely to raise issues pertaining to Arms smuggling, circulation of counterfeit Indian currency from Bangladesh, infiltration of Bangladeshi nationals and other cross-border crimes.

''We will also raise the issue of presence of Indian militants camps inside Bangladesh and seek the handing over of jailed United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) General Secretary Anup Chetia to Indian authorities,'' BSF DIG (Assam-Meghalaya) Frontier, V S Sikarwar told UNI after the preparatory meeting with BDR officials here.

BDR's Staff Officers, Major Md Humayun Kabir Sarker and Major Ahmed Tariq Someen attended the preparatory meeting, which was held at BSF Outpost in Dawki.

Earlier, both sides agreed to exercise utmost restraint along the India-Bangladesh border to avoid any untoward incidents and to keep a greater vigilance with a view to check and prevent the illicit flow of drugs, narcotics, Arms and explosives across the border.

UNI RRK LL HS DB2028