The 57th Director General-level border conference between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) has commenced. The four-day summit, which began at the BSF Headquarters in the Indian capital, New Delhi, on Monday is scheduled to conclude this coming Thursday.

The conference is taking place against the backdrop of persistent attempts by the BSF to push individuals into Bangladeshi territory across various sectors of the border since May last year. Consequently, relevant Bangladeshi officials believe that these “illegal push-ins” will receive primary focus during this round of talks.

Officials stated that, alongside this issue, Bangladesh will demand effective measures to halt the killing, injuring, and assault of unarmed Bangladeshi citizens by the BSF, Indian nationals, or miscreants along the border. Other key items on the agenda include preventing the smuggling of various narcotics, firearms, and other contraband goods from India into Bangladesh; curbing human trafficking; addressing border violations; and halting the construction of unauthorised infrastructure, including barbed-wire fencing, within 150 yards of the international boundary.