India, Bangladesh believe they have achieved good progress in all bilateral spheres

Dhaka/New Delhi, Oct. 29 (ANI): Senior officials of the governments of India and Bangladesh believe that they have achieved a good-level of bilateral interaction in recent times.

Issues like the curbing of terrorism, smuggling, border management, visa allotment, water-sharing and the extradition of of insurgents like Anup Chetia of the ULFA have been discussed.

"I think that today, the level of friendship and cooperation, which exists between the two countries is unprecedented between any countries, anywhere. We have for the past three and a half years worked together in all the spheres, which concerned us and in all the spheres we have reached good agreements, said Union Home Secretary R.K.Singh recently.

India shares a 4096-kilometer-long long border with Bangladesh.

Both sides have erected fences on a larger part of the border, but in some areas, it still used by traffickers, smugglers and militants for cross border movement.

Security forces have stopped using lethal weapons against these anti-social elements to reduce killings, but are taking tough action against those who cross the border illegally.

"It is a 3,000-kilometre border and it used to be 100 (civilian casualty) plus and quantum of cattle smuggling is very high. From that 100 to 06, that is the impact of the direction which has been given by us and at the cost of BSF personnel themselves getting injured. The number of BSF personnel, who have got injured in one and half year is 400," Singh added.

Several insurgent outfits, in the past, had taken refuge in Bangladesh. Most of them moved to other countries after the Sheikh Hasina Government took action against them.

"For the past four years, Bangladesh has been very active and has taken action against the Indian insurgent outfits," the Indian Home Secretary said.

Recently, the home secretaries of both sides visited the Integrated Land Custom Stations on the border and reviewed its progress.

India has offered to build more such stations on its borders with Bangladesh as it helps in the promotion of cross border trade.

Both India and Bangladesh have signed several memorandums to extend mutual cooperation in different areas of engagement like science, agriculture, anti terrorism, and border management. (ANI)