A day after Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh Pranay Verma was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka over the recent tense situation at the border, India summoned Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner, Nurul Islam, in Delhi. According to a report by NDTV, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Bangladeshi envoy on Monday for discussions.
The report stated that the Indian Ministry of External Affairs summoned the Bangladeshi Deputy High Commissioner in Delhi today (Monday) to discuss the growing tensions between Dhaka and New Delhi.
On Sunday, the Indian High Commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, was summoned to Dhaka’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs over allegations that India was attempting to construct fences at five specific locations along the 4,156-kilometer Bangladesh-India border. The following day, India’s Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladeshi Deputy High Commissioner Nurul Islam in Delhi.
On Sunday at 3 p.m. local time, Pranay Verma arrived at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dhaka. He held a meeting with Foreign Secretary Jasim Uddin for approximately 45 minutes.
Later, Pranay Verma stated that there is an understanding between Dhaka and New Delhi regarding the construction of fences along the border for security purposes. He said, “The border security forces of both countries, BSF and BGB, have been in communication regarding this. We hope to see the implementation of our bilateral understanding and a cooperative approach to addressing border crimes.”
Why the Border Tension?
Last Monday, tensions arose at the zero line of the Kaliachak border in Malda district of West Bengal, where the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) began constructing a fence. Following objections from Bangladesh, the BSF was forced to halt the construction. The issue was later resolved through discussions.
During the meeting with Verma, Foreign Secretary Jasim Uddin expressed “deep concern” over the attempts to construct barbed wire fences, stating that such efforts have created tension and unrest at the border. On Sunday morning, Lieutenant General (Retd.) Md. Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, Adviser to the Ministry of Home Affairs, stated that the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is on high alert. He mentioned that due to the strong stance of the BGB and local residents, India had to suspend fence construction along the border.
The adviser also said that India recently initiated the construction of barbed wire fences in five locations along the border. However, due to the firm stance of the BGB and local residents, India was compelled to stop work at those locations. He added that the BGB has been in communication with the BSF to address the situation, and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already been informed to take swift diplomatic measures.
Out of the 4,156 kilometers of the Bangladesh-India border, the Indian authorities have installed barbed wire fences along 3,271 kilometers. However, fences have not yet been constructed along 885 kilometers, the adviser mentioned.