DHAKA, March 9, 2024 (BSS) - Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has urged the India's Border Security Force (BSF) to immediately reopen the Rahimpur canal's link with Kushiyara river under Zakiganj upazila in Sylhet to facilitate the irrigation and ease people's sufferings.

BGB Director General (DG) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui made the call to BSF DG Nitin Agarwal in a joint press conference here today on the last day of the five-day 54th director general (DG)-level border conference between BGB and BSF.

Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui said the mouth of Rahimpur canal should be reopened to facilitate the irrigation in the 5,000 hectors of cultivable lands on the banks of Kushiyara river and ease the suffering of the people in the bordering area in Zakiganj.

BSF DG also assured of reopening mouth of the canal for serving the interests of the both sides.

In the press conference, the DGs of the BGB and BSF informed that they agreed to bring the border killing to zero level through strengthening joint patrolling.

Replying to a question, the BGB DG said the death of BGB member Mohammad Rais Uddin on Dhanyokhola bordering area in Jashore's Sharsha upazila on January 22 was not a "target killing".

"We the both sides have been making all-out efforts so that no incident of killing of any person in uniform or any civilian takes place. We have all-out efforts to save life," he said.

BSF DG Nitin Agarwal also said sometimes Indian and Bangladeshi citizens died on bordering areas. "But we are putting our highest efforts as none fall victim of killing," he added.

Agarwal said they have changed the arms policy for Bangladesh border. "We introduced the use of non lethal weapons instead of lethal ones on border in order to bring down border killing completely," Nitin Agarwal added.

Noting that a gang of criminals are carrying out criminal activities on bordering areas, the BSF DG said whenever BGB and BSF members resisted any trans-boundary criminal acts or smuggling, members of the gang carry out attack on the personnel of both of the border forces.

In self-defence, sometimes BSF members open fire, he said adding around 60 members of BSF received injuries in attacks of the gang.
In those cases, BSF members are forces to open fire and some Bangladeshi and Indian criminals get injured or killed in the firing, he said.

BGB DG said both sides agreed on exchanging information to prevent smuggling of contraband drugs, firearms, explosives, fake currency and gold.

A 16-member delegation of Bangladesh led by BGB DG Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui took part in the border conference from March 5 to 9. Nine-member Indian delegation led by BSF DG Nitin Agarwal joined it.

In the conference, both sides agreed on taking strong and proper stance against intrusion of forcefully displaced Myanmar citizens crossing the boundary of Bangladesh and India.

Mentioning the adverse impact of industrial waste which enters Bangladesh's Akhaura from India's Agartala through bordering canals, BGB DG stressed on establishing sufficient number of waste refineries as per the decision taken in the meeting of the technical committee of the joint river commission.

Both the sides agreed on conducting joint survey and taking measures in conserving environment in the bordering areas.