Bangladesh and India have pledged to enhance border cooperation, including intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols, following discussions between their border forces. The agreement comes amid heightened tensions over alleged undocumented migration and India's practice of pushing migrants back across the shared border.
The agreement signals an effort by Bangladesh and India to manage a sensitive and increasingly contentious border issue, potentially easing diplomatic tensions and addressing humanitarian concerns related to migration.
Bangladesh and India have agreed to enhance cooperation along their extensive shared border, including improved intelligence sharing and coordinated patrols, according to a joint statement released Friday. The pact aims to address strained relations stemming from allegations of undocumented migration and India's practice of pushing migrants back across the border.
Dhaka has accused Indian authorities of attempting to force migrants into Bangladesh without due process, a practice that has complicated efforts to stabilize bilateral ties following the 2024 ousting of Sheikh Hasina. India's broader efforts to identify and deport undocumented migrants have also been a point of contention.
Top border officials from Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF) described their four-day meeting in New Delhi as "cordial, positive and forward-looking." The discussions addressed "illegal, inadvertent and forcible crossing at border areas," an increasingly contentious issue in recent months.
Bangladesh and India share a border exceeding 4,000 kilometers (2,500 miles). India has historically engaged in informal "pushbacks" of illegal migrants into Bangladesh, a practice that activists claim has intensified following political changes in West Bengal and unfairly targets Bengali-speaking Muslims.