New Delhi: The Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) today decided to take several Confidence Building Measures (CBM) to make the border between the two nations peaceful and crime free.
The BSF has also decided to use non-lethal weapons to reduce the fatalities at the border. It was decided on the concluding day of the 33rd Border Co-ordination Conference between the two forces here.
BSF DG Raman Srivastava led the 23-member Indian delegation while Director General (DG) of BGB Maj Gen Rafiqul Islam led the 20-member Bangladesh team.
"The BSF will use non-lethal weapons at some vulnerable areas along the border. If it can successfully bring down the number of fatalities, then it will be expanded to cover the entire 4,100 km border," DG Srivastava said.
"We will also try to keep maximum restrain at border with Bangladesh," he added. However, only the BSF has decided to use non-lethal weapons and the BGB has not offered any such step.
Both the sides have agreed to taken stern action against drug smugglers and people involved in fake Indian currency racket and illegal trafficking of women and children.
In the five-day meeting, which was claimed by both the sides as the most cordial, the BGB DG assured that Bangladesh will not allow its territory to use against anti-India activities.
"The border must be peaceful at any cost. We have absolute understanding on the problems at the border.
There was no incident of firing at the border since May 2010," Major General Rafiqul Islam added.
The BSF has given a list of insurgents and their camps in Bangladesh and people involved in drug smuggling and human trafficking, while the BGB also gave a list of anti-Bangladesh elements to the Indian force.
The BGB was earlier known as Bangladesh Rifles, and the name was changed after the 2009 mutiny by the BDR soldiers in which several of its high-ranking officials were killed.
