India, Bangladesh resolve to curb cross-border crimes

Agartala, May 27 (IANS) Indian and Bangladeshi officials on Monday jointly resolved to curb drugs smuggling, human trafficking and other cross-border crimes.

The decision was taken at the India-Bangladesh District Magistrate-Deputy Commissioner level meeting held here.

"The District Magistrates-Deputy Commissioners of the six bordering districts of India and Bangladesh unanimously have decided to take joint action to curb drug menace, human trafficking, terror activities, infiltration and illegal cross border movement," North Tripura District Magistrate C.K. Jamatia, who led the Indian delegation, told the media.

He said that other issues including border fencing, maintenance of border pillars, joint patrolling of the Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) and setting up of more "border haats" (markets) were also discussed.

The Deputy Commissioner of Bangladesh's Moulvibazar district, Mohammad Tofael Islam, who led his country's 22-member delegation, said: "With the next three to four months, two more 'border haats' would be set up along the India-Bangladesh borders."

Drugs, specially the "Yaba tablets" (a powerful stimulant) smuggled from Myanmar, were being seized regularly both in India and Bangladesh, Islam added.

In the border haats, vendors from India and Bangladesh are allowed to sell local produce without any duty or tax. To improve the livelihood of people on the border, the two countries (since 2011) have set up two haats in Tripura and two in Meghalaya.

BGB's senior official Lt Col Mohiuddin said that to strengthen the border security and further intensify vigil along the frontiers, more than 20 Border Out Posts (BOPs) were set up along Bangladesh's borders with Tripura and Mizoram.

Tripura, surrounded by Bangladesh from three sides, shares a 856-km border with the country.

All of this, except a nearly 20-km-stretch, is fenced.