New Delhi, June 21 (UNI): The Foreign Secretaries of India and Bangladesh began their crucial talks here this morning to discuss various aspects of bilateral relations, mainly border row, fencingand security issues involving activities of Northeast insurgentshiding in that country.
Yesterday, Bangladesh Foreign Secretary Hemayatuddin had one on one talks with Indian Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran before the actual delegation level talks began.
The Bangladesh Foreign Secretary also called on Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed.
The Foreign Secretary level talks between the two countries are being held after two-and-a-half years.
The last such meeting was held in Dhaka on April 30, 2003.
The official said the two Foreign Secretaries will discuss issues related to security, border management, water resources, Defence, cultural exchanges and other matters of bilateral interest.
"It will be an opportunity to review the entire gamut of bilateral relations," the spokesman added.
Shyam Saran will be assisted by senior officials from the Ministries of Home and Commerce and representatives of the state governments bordering Bangladesh.
Although the two countries have another mechanism of Home Secretary-level talks for discussing security issues, the two Foreign Secretaries will discuss infiltration, the nagging border row and fencing along about 4000 KM border between the two countries among other bilateral matters, sources said.
Both countries recently witnessed tension along the border between the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the Border Security Force (BSF) after a BSF officer was killed by BDR jawans.
Although, Dhaka later expressed regret over the incident, relations between the two countries touched a new low after the incident.
India has been accusing Bangladesh of providing sanctuary to Northeast insurgents including ULFA.
However, Bangladesh denies and in turn accuses India of giving sanctuary to anti-Bangladesh elements.
ULFA leader Anoop Chetia, alongwith several others, is currently lodged in a Bangladesh jail.
India is erecting a fence along the more than 4000 KM border to check illegal immigration and infiltration and other illegal cross-border activities.
Banlgadesh opposes the fencing and said it violates a 1975 agreement between the two countries.
However, India denies any violation of the agreement.
It has, nevertheless, stopped fencing along some areas where Bangladesh has objected.
Senior officials said that half of the fencing work along the border had been completed.
As much as 1712.22 KM of the 3286.87 KM border had been fenced and the remaining is expected to be completed by 2006.
A pilot project for flood-lighting in some areas along the 126 KM of the border had also been started, the officials said.
The fencing is yet to be completed in Northeastern states of Assam and Meghalaya.
While in Meghalaya, about half of the 443 KM long border had been fenced, fencing had been completed on about 150 KM of the 263 KM border in Assam.
Fencing along some areas has been stopped by India after Bangladesh objected and both countries are trying to arrive at a solution through diplomatic channels, the officials added.
Several proposals including "joint coordinated patrolling" had been made to check illegal cross-border activities.
However, these did not fructify.
Sources said that besides the border fencing and security issues, the two Foreign Secretaries would also discuss trade and economic cooperation.
The sources said the Foreign Secretary-level talks would be followed by the Home Secretary-level talks.
The conclusion of these meetings would pave way for the Joint Economic Commission meeting headed by the Foreign Ministers of the two countries.
The two Foreign Ministers have met earlier on the sidelines of the SAARC Ministerial Meeting in Islamabad last year and the Afro-Asian Summit in Jakarta.
Officials said that conceding to the long-standing demand of the northeastern states, India is also going ahead with the construction of the 797 km border road.
The cost of fencing the border as well as laying of roads would be about Rs 1334 crore.
Fencing would be maximum along the border with West Bengal (1201 km) followed by Tripura (736 km), Mizoram (400 km), Meghalaya (198 km) and Assam (71.5 km).
This was being done to check illegal immigration from Bangladesh into Northeasern states thereby changing demographic pattern, the sources added.
For that reason, representatives from states bordering Bangladesh and Home Ministry would also be attending tomorrow's meeting.
and intensify patrolling on the border.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had a bilateral meeting with Bangladesh Prime Minister Khaleda Zia in Bangkok on the sidelines of the BISMST-EC summit last August.
The two leaders reiterated their commitment not to allow Indo-Bangladesh relations become hostage to past bickerings.
On the issue of water resources, Bangladesh is asking India to share the Teesta waters.
Bangladesh has accused India in the past of opening up the Farakka reservoir sluice gates which caused floods in that country.
India has a long list of complaints besides Bangladesh providing sanctuary to Northeast insurgents including thsose from the ULFA who have reportedly acquired property in Bangladesh.
India says about 200 anti-India militant camps of North-Eastern separatist groups exist in Bangladesh.
However, Dhaka denies that.
Indian intelligence sources say that North Eastern insurgent camps are concentrated in Khagrachar, Bardarban and Rangamati mountain tracks of Chittagong hills.
These are in addition to some camps in Cox's Bazaar and Maulvi Bazaar district, Habibganj, Sylhet, Sherpur and Kurigram.
Besides Anup Chetia, ULFA commander-in-chief Pradesh Baruah and Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and ATTF chief Ranjit Dev Burman are among the wanted insurgents living in Bangladesh with "official patronage."
