COAS holds talks with Bangladesh Army LG on strengthening defence ties
New Delhi, October 18
Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi held talks with Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman of Bangladesh Army on UNTCC sidelines.
The two agreed to strengthen defence cooperation.
In a post on X, the Indian Army said, "On the sidelines of UNTCC 2025, General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS, held a constructive and productive discussion with Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman, Bangladesh Army. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment in strengthening defence cooperation, training and coordination in UN peacekeeping."
https://x.com/adgpi/status/1979162765957959998
Earlier on August 28, BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chowdhury said in Dhaka that appropriate legal action is being taken against illegal foreigners staying in India, including Bangladeshi nationals.
Replying to questions at a joint press conference after talks with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Chowdhury said, "They are being dealt with as per the law of the land. All BD nationals who were found illegally entering India without any criminal intent are handed over to the BGB respectfully. During this period, we have handed over around 550 Bangladeshi nationals to the BGB. In cases when BGB could not verify the credentials, they were handed over to Indian agencies for deportation through an established mechanism."
He added that more than 2,400 cases of verification of Bangladeshi nationals are pending with the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi. "Some of them have been pending for more than 5 years. We have also requested BGB to take up the case with the relevant authorities to expedite the confirmation, so that they can be reunited with their families. If there are any instances of border violation by Indian nationals or Bangladeshi nationals, a well-established mechanism exists between both countries for deporting or handing over the nationals to each other," he added.
On deportations, the BSF DG said, "As I explained before, there is a well-established mechanism that exists between both countries for deporting or handing over nationals to each other. If we are contacted and it is found that the deported persons are Indian nationals, we will immediately accept them".
— ANI
Reader Comments
While defense cooperation is good, the real issue is the illegal immigration problem. 2400 pending verification cases for 5+ years? Bangladesh needs to be more proactive in taking back their citizens.
As someone living near the West Bengal border, I appreciate that both sides are handling deportations respectfully. The established mechanism seems to be working well for genuine cases.
UN peacekeeping coordination between our armies is a positive step. Both countries have contributed significantly to global peacekeeping missions. Good to see this partnership growing!
The numbers are concerning - 550 handed over recently and thousands pending verification. While cooperation is good, we need faster resolution of these cases. Families are suffering due to bureaucratic delays.
Constructive discussions always better than confrontation. Hope this leads to better border management and reduced illegal crossings. Our security forces are doing a tough job with dignity. ðŸ™
We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.