BSF postpones meeting with BDR to March

Shillong, Feb 2 (UNI) The Border Security Force has postponed its four-day biennial conference with Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) to March in view of the coming Assembly polls in three north eastern states, official sources said here today.

The proposed annual conference between the two frontier guards was supposed to be held at the BSF (Assam-Meghalaya) frontier here from February 11.

'' We have postponed our annual meeting with our Bangladesh counterparts in view of the Assembly elections in Meghalaya, Tripura and Nagaland, '' BSF spokesman V S Sirkarwar told UNI.

He said the meeting would be held in March.

Earlier, Deputy Director General Brigadier General M A Bari was to lead the ten-member BDR team, while the BSF delegation was to be headed by Mr Himmat Singh, Inspector General for the Cachar-Mizoram frontiers.

Inspector Generals of Assam-Meghalaya and Tripura Frontier P K Mishra and J A Khan will assist Mr Singh during the talks.

A single phase Assembly election in the three northeastern states of Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland will be held on February 23, March 3 and March 5 respectively.

Last week, a two-member delegation of the BDR, led by their Staff Officer Major Md Humayun Kabir Sarker, worked out the itinerary of the biennial conference with their BSF counterparts at Dawki Outpost.

Both sides agreed to raise issues concerning cross-border crimes, presence of Indian militant camps in Bangladesh and circulation of counterfeit Indian currency from Bangladesh.

UNI RRK SJC AM RN1848