India on Friday said that the construction of barbed wire fences, cattle fences, border lighting and the installation of technical devices were measures that were aimed at securing the border and combating criminal activities.
鈥楢ll earlier understandings in this regard will be implemented by Bangladesh in a cooperative approach towards combating such crimes,鈥� the Times of India reported, quoting a Ministry of External Affairs聽聽聽 spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal as saying at a press conference in New Delhi on the day.
鈥榃e have made our position very clear. We had summoned the acting deputy high commissioner and made our position on border fencing very clear,鈥� Jaiswal said.
The statement came after the India鈥檚 external affairs ministry summoned Bangladesh鈥檚 acting high commissioner to India, Nurul Islam, to the South Block earlier in the week to discuss ongoing border security issues, the Indian media said.
Jaiswal said that India remained committed to ensuring a crime-free border with Bangladesh by effectively addressing cross-border criminal activities, smuggling and trafficking, according to the media report.
On January 12, the Bangladesh foreign ministry summoned the high commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, to express its concern over the construction of barbed wire fence and protest at the recent killing of a Bangladeshi national by the Indian Border Security Force on the border.
Foreign secretary Md Jashim Uddin conveyed the message to the Indian envoy that activities, particularly the attempt to construct unauthorised barbed wire fence and the related operational actions by the BSF, had caused tensions and disturbances on the border.
鈥楾he foreign secretary called upon the government of India to advise all authorities concerned in India to refrain from any provocative actions that could escalate tensions along the shared border,鈥� said the foreign ministry release issued on January 12.
India had already constructed barbed wire fences in areas of 3,271 kilometres of the 4,156km border, according to the Bangladesh home affairs adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.
Jahangir also said that the Border Guard Bangladesh was on the alert along the border and their strong position accompanied by the local people had forced India to stop the construction of barbed wire fences at five points along the border in Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat.