Delhi may declare unilateral 'no-firing' along its border with B'desh
Sunday, 21 March 2010
New Delhi, Mar 20 (BSS): India has said it might declare a unilateral "no-firing" along its border with Bangladesh for a year to avoid the deaths of civilians in cross-fire.
"We are considering unilateral no-firing on the border for one year. The modalities are being worked out," Indian Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai said at India-Bangladesh Security Dialogue organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Friday.
Responding to suggestions of India's former Foreign Secretary MK Rasgotra against any firing or transgression on Indo-Bangladesh border, Pillai said India understood that any killing of civilians in border cross firing was a very sensitive issue in the neighbouring country.
He, however, refuted the journalists' contention that the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) had made transgressions along Bangladesh border earlier this month.
Pillai said some Indian men, who had gone for fishing, came under fire and there was retaliatory fire from the Indian side.
The Indian home secretary said the boundary dispute related to only 6.1 km of the 4,095 km border between the two countries but there had been no progress in the last 10 years to solve the problem.
He suggested creating a joint task force with a mandate to solve the boundary dispute by the end of this year or early next year.
Pillai said India and Bangladesh had an opportunity to strengthen their relationship and there was need to move fast to use the window of opportunity.
Terming Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January this year as a "milestone", Pillai said the gains would remain on paper unless translated quickly on the ground.
"We need to move very fast. I don't think this window of opportunity will last forever. The next nine months are going to be critical. If we miss the bus in nine months, we may find ourselves climbing a mountain," Pillai said and added a large number of visas were issued by Indian high commission mission in Dhaka but there were certain issues.
The Indian home secretary said there could be major visa relaxation for those having travelled to India earlier.
He said the government was also considering removing Bangladesh from the list of countries where prior clearance from the government was needed to give visas.
The home secretary suggested developing markets on the border to legitimise economic activity and curb smuggling.
He said the delegates could come up with a solution to the problem of cattle smuggling, "which had deep political implications in India".
On security problems, Pillai said the cooperation extended by Bangladesh in recent months was "gratifying". "It is working on the ground," he said. He said terrorism was not country-specific and it was vital for countries to share intelligence.
Coping with terrorism and cooperation in the areas of security are the main themes of the two-day dialogue whose recommendations will be given to the two governments.
The Bangladesh side is being led by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute president and former Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan while the Indian side is being led by Rasgotra.
"We are considering unilateral no-firing on the border for one year. The modalities are being worked out," Indian Home Secretary Gopal Krishna Pillai said at India-Bangladesh Security Dialogue organised by the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) and Bangladesh Enterprise Institute (BEI) Friday.
Responding to suggestions of India's former Foreign Secretary MK Rasgotra against any firing or transgression on Indo-Bangladesh border, Pillai said India understood that any killing of civilians in border cross firing was a very sensitive issue in the neighbouring country.
He, however, refuted the journalists' contention that the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) had made transgressions along Bangladesh border earlier this month.
Pillai said some Indian men, who had gone for fishing, came under fire and there was retaliatory fire from the Indian side.
The Indian home secretary said the boundary dispute related to only 6.1 km of the 4,095 km border between the two countries but there had been no progress in the last 10 years to solve the problem.
He suggested creating a joint task force with a mandate to solve the boundary dispute by the end of this year or early next year.
Pillai said India and Bangladesh had an opportunity to strengthen their relationship and there was need to move fast to use the window of opportunity.
Terming Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's visit to India in January this year as a "milestone", Pillai said the gains would remain on paper unless translated quickly on the ground.
"We need to move very fast. I don't think this window of opportunity will last forever. The next nine months are going to be critical. If we miss the bus in nine months, we may find ourselves climbing a mountain," Pillai said and added a large number of visas were issued by Indian high commission mission in Dhaka but there were certain issues.
The Indian home secretary said there could be major visa relaxation for those having travelled to India earlier.
He said the government was also considering removing Bangladesh from the list of countries where prior clearance from the government was needed to give visas.
The home secretary suggested developing markets on the border to legitimise economic activity and curb smuggling.
He said the delegates could come up with a solution to the problem of cattle smuggling, "which had deep political implications in India".
On security problems, Pillai said the cooperation extended by Bangladesh in recent months was "gratifying". "It is working on the ground," he said. He said terrorism was not country-specific and it was vital for countries to share intelligence.
Coping with terrorism and cooperation in the areas of security are the main themes of the two-day dialogue whose recommendations will be given to the two governments.
The Bangladesh side is being led by Bangladesh Enterprise Institute president and former Foreign Secretary Farooq Sobhan while the Indian side is being led by Rasgotra.