India and Bangladesh have agreed to launch a new hotline between the deputy commanders of their respective border security forces. Currently there is a hotline between the heads of these forces. Both countries have also identified 99 new areas for fencing along their common border.
According to sources, these decisions were finalized in a Director General level meeting between the Border Security Force (BSF) and Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) here on Thursday. This was the first high-level meeting between the two countries after the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh on August 5.
He said that the three-day meeting from 18 to 20 February was concluded cordially. In this, the Indian side was successful in convincing its neighbor about the importance of fencing the remaining areas of the 4,096 km long border. This range extends across five Indian states at the eastern end.
Sources said that both sides have decided to open a new hotline for effective communication in the Director General level talks. This communication will be between the Kolkata-based Additional Director General (ADG) of BSF Eastern Command and his BGB counterpart posted at the force’s headquarters in Dhaka.