CURBING SMUGGLING THRU SUNDARBANS RIVERs

BGB-BSF joint exercise Jan 28-30

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) of India for the first time are going to conduct a joint exercise at the riverine areas of the Sundarbans under West Bengal during January 28-30 to stop smuggling through the river route.
The mode of the proposed joint exercise will be fixed during the DG-level talks between the two border forces to be held on December 22-27 in Dhaka, according to sources in the home ministry and the BGB.
Earlier in August, the chiefs of the border forces decided to conduct the operation at the riverine areas of the Sundarbans by December. The plan, however, failed to take off.
The high-level border talks will be held against the backdrop of the recent handover of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) general secretary Anup Chetia and two others members of the same outfit to India.
 Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, DG of the BGB, told The Independent that they will discuss how to conduct the joint exercise in the riverine areas of the Sundarbans. We believe that the exercise would stop smuggling activities through the riverine areas of the Sundarbans. It’ll teach the members of the two border forces how to look for ‘smuggling operations’ through river routes,” he said.

 He claimed that the joint exercise will help enhance mutual trust and confidence building between the two border forces.
 At present, the borders forces are maintaining borders under the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) with a view to preventing cross border criminal activities, irregular movement, incidents of violence and tragic loss of lives.
 The border forces of the two countries have already conducted ‘coordinated patrolling’ at their respective territories at a time to stop cross border crimes.
During the six-day-long DG-level talks, the BGB will urge the BSF to stop killing innocent Bangladeshis.
The DG of BGB would also raise the issues of drugs and arms smuggling, pushing back of Bangladeshis, construction of fences within 150 yards of the international boundary.
 The BSF DG is likely to urge his counterpart to stop the smuggling of fake Indian currency, drugs and other banned items.
 A 23-member delegation, headed by DK Pathak, director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India, will led the Indian side, while Maj. General Aziz Ahmed will lead the Bangladesh side.
 Bangladesh and India share a 4,096-kilometer (Km)-long border, the fifth-longest land border in the world, including 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 180 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya, and 2,217 km in West Bengal.
 Sources said there are vulnerable border points in 33 border districts, including 10 coastal ones, of Bangladesh. More than 50 categories of Bangladeshi goods are smuggled daily to India through these points.

CURBING SMUGGLING THRU SUNDARBANS RIVERs

BGB-BSF joint exercise Jan 28-30

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Border Security Force (BSF) of India for the first time are going to conduct a joint exercise at the riverine areas of the Sundarbans under West Bengal during January 28-30 to stop smuggling through the river route. The mode of the proposed joint exercise will be fixed during the DG-level talks between the two border forces to be held on December 22-27 in Dhaka, according to sources in the home ministry and the BGB. Earlier in August, the chiefs of the border forces decided to conduct the operation at the riverine areas of the Sundarbans by December. The plan, however, failed to take off. The high-level border talks will be held against the backdrop of the recent handover of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) general secretary Anup Chetia and two others members of the same outfit to India. Maj. Gen. Aziz Ahmed, DG of the BGB, told The Independent that they will discuss how to conduct the joint exercise in the riverine areas of the Sundarbans. We believe that the exercise would stop smuggling activities through the riverine areas of the Sundarbans. Itll teach the members of the two border forces how to look for smuggling operations through river routes, he said. He claimed that the joint exercise will help enhance mutual trust and confidence building between the two border forces. At present, the borders forces are maintaining borders under the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) with a view to preventing cross border criminal activities, irregular movement, incidents of violence and tragic loss of lives. The border forces of the two countries have already conducted coordinated patrolling at their respective territories at a time to stop cross border crimes. During the six-day-long DG-level talks, the BGB will urge the BSF to stop killing innocent Bangladeshis. The DG of BGB would also raise the issues of drugs and arms smuggling, pushing back of Bangladeshis, construction of fences within 150 yards of the international boundary. The BSF DG is likely to urge his counterpart to stop the smuggling of fake Indian currency, drugs and other banned items. A 23-member delegation, headed by DK Pathak, director general of the Border Security Force (BSF) of India, will led the Indian side, while Maj. General Aziz Ahmed will lead the Bangladesh side. Bangladesh and India share a 4,096-kilometer (Km)-long border, the fifth-longest land border in the world, including 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 180 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya, and 2,217 km in West Bengal. Sources said there are vulnerable border points in 33 border districts, including 10 coastal ones, of Bangladesh. More than 50 categories of Bangladeshi goods are smuggled daily to India through these points.