India, Bangladesh express concern over border killings
Prime ministers of both countries eye for enhancing measures to down border killings to zero
DHAKA, Bangladesh
Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and her counterpart Narendra Modi eye for enhancing measures to reduce killings in the India-Bangladesh border.
The two neighboring countries' leaders in a joint statement on Saturday expressed concern over the loss of lives in border areas and directed the border authorities to increase efforts to curb the border killing to zero.
“Both leaders also agreed that the loss of civilian lives at the border is a matter of concern and directed the concerned border forces to enhance coordinated measures to work toward bringing such border incidents down to zero,” the statement read, reported by local daily The Daily Star.
The two leaders of neighboring nations also emphasized border management, so that the border areas remain stable and crime-free, the statement read.
Besides, the two leaders directed border and related authorities to take necessary measures including to complete the undone border fencing at the pending sectors at borders between the two countries.
Border between Bangladesh and India is one of the most dangerous in the world.
Between January-August 2019, a total of 26 Bangladeshis were killed along the Indian border, according to an aid and human rights organization Ain o Salish Kendra (ASK).
Besides, some 25 persons were also abducted in the same period in Indo-Bangla border and some 20 others injured, ASK added.
Over 1,100 Bangladeshis were killed along the border from 2000 to 2018, said Odhikar, another local rights group.