NEW DELHI: India last week, protested to Bangladesh for allowing Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, to operate from its Soil as a high-power delegation led by Home Secretary N.N. Vohra ‘was Currently in Nepal canvassing for joint cooperation to strengthen: border vigilance.

India’s concern over the happenings in the neighboring countries stems from reports that these are being used as conduits for pushing in arms and ammunition into the border areas. In the case of Bangladesh, there is an additional problem of illegal immigration Causing population explosion in the border districts of Bihar and West Bengal and social tensions in other areas including Delhi.

Reliable sources said the Bangladesh delegation contested the BSF chief’s arguments. It reportedly argued that India had pushed many people into Bangladesh merely on the suspicion of their being illegal immigrants. As a consequence, the meeting did not yield any clue to solving the burning problem of illegal immigration.

However, there was agreement on two issues: one, that the undemarcated 50 km of Indo Bangladesh border be demarcated at the earliest, and the other that the work of repair and maintenance of boundary pillars along the international border should be taken over by the Security forces of the two countries.

It was decided that the two security forces would be requesting their respective governments to issue directions to surveyors-general to complete the demarcation of the boundary.

In this context, the dispute in the Mahurichar area was also discussed. India’s argument was that on the basis of Indo-Bangladesh agreement of 1974 the boundary in this area was along the course of Mahuni River. On the other hand, Bangladesh insisted that the cultivation on the Indian side should be Stopped. India did not favor this proposal saying that the 1974 agreement related to alignment of the border and not utilization of land on either side.

India and Bangladesh have agreed to demarcate the 50 km stretch of border between the two countries at the earliest.

Article extracted from this publication >> January 28, 1994