Bangladesh's interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, has sparked a new dispute with India over what appears to be a settled border issue between the two neighbors.
The Yunus government has objected to the barbed wire fencing by the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), signaling that the caretaker government is reviewing border agreements with India previously signed by the Sheikh Hasina government.
This comes against the backdrop of escalating tensions between India and Bangladesh, which began shortly after Yunus was appointed as the country's chief adviser, primarily responsible for holding elections for the next government, after a student unrest in August that ousted Hasina for seven months government fell last year.
On Sunday (January 12), Bangladesh's Foreign Ministry summoned Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma to express “deep concern” over “the recent activities of the Border Security Force (BSF).”
Within hours, India's Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) summoned Bangladesh's Deputy High Commissioner Nural Islam over border issues. On Monday, Islam was seen leaving South Block after being summoned by the MEA.
Refrain from any “provocative actions”
During Sunday's meeting, which lasted more than half an hour, Bangladesh Foreign Minister Jashim Uddin objected to the “unauthorized” attempt to erect barbed wire fences at several places along the border, causing tension and unrest in the areas.
Bangladesh's Daily Star reported that Jashim Uddin, through his meeting, conveyed a message to New Delhi that India should advise all authorities concerned to desist from any provocative activities that could incite tension along the shared border.
Border fence 'violation' of bilateral agreements, claims Bangladesh
Bangladesh Home Minister Lt Gen (retd) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury claimed that the BSF's recent fencing activities in five border areas including Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Lalmonirhat and the Tin Bigha corridor have increased tensions in the region.
India calls for “cooperative approach” at border
During the meeting with the Foreign Minister of Bangladesh, the Indian High Commissioner to Dhaka explained why New Delhi has erected spiked fences along the border.
“I just met [Bangladesh’s] “I will discuss India's commitment to ensuring a crime-free border and effectively addressing the challenges of smuggling, movement of criminals and human trafficking,” Pranay Verma told media after the meeting.
“We agree to fence the border for security reasons. BSF and BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) have contacted in this regard. “We expect that the agreements will be implemented and there will be a cooperative approach to fighting crime,” Verma said.
The Yunus government claims Bangladesh prevented India from building fences
Later on Sunday, the Yunus government claimed that its Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) had prevented the BSF from erecting fences along the 4,096-kilometer border between Bangladesh and India.
Since the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh on August 5 last year, when the former prime minister left the country following anti-government protests, the BSF took the initiative to construct a fence along the unfenced part of the India-Bangladesh border build.
At a press conference on Sunday, Jahangir Alam claimed: “The strong position of the BGB and the locals has forced India to stop its activities. “I would like to express my gratitude to them for their role in this matter.”
Unfenced border between India and Bangladesh
India and Bangladesh share the 4,096-kilometer-long border, of which a 2,216.7-kilometer-long border area lies in West Bengal, about 20 percent of which is unfenced.
The BSF began installing the fences but faced objections and resistance from the BSG at several locations.
Due to the recent development, the Yunus government, which was briefly tasked with ensuring normalcy in the country and holding peaceful elections, now wants to “review” the border agreements with India.
Yunus wants to “review” border agreements between Bangladesh and India.
According to the Daily Star report, Jahangir Alam claimed that problems with the border fence “increased due to some 'unequal agreements' signed during the tenure of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League-led government.”
Several media reports from Bangladesh claimed that the Yunus-led government would review certain bilateral agreements signed between New Delhi and Dhaka during Hasina's regime – between 2009 and 2024 – with several believing that these agreements gave India the gave the upper hand.
Last week, the BGB had raised objections to the erection of barbed wires along the unfenced stretches of the India-Bangladesh border in Malda, Cooch Behar and South Dinajpur districts.
What are these agreements?
According to Jahangir Alam, four border-related memorandums of understanding (MoUs) have been signed between India and Bangladesh since Bangladesh's independence.
The four agreements are –
1974 Land Boundary Agreement providing for disposition of enclaves and disputed land
Joint Indo-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Administration 1975
Land Boundary Agreement Protocol 2011
Coordinated Border Management Plan 2011
Jahangir Alam claimed that of these agreements, the 1975 MoU stipulated that no defense development activities could take place within 150 yards of the zero line without mutual consent.
“Any such work requires prior agreement between the two nations,” he said.
Jahangir Alam further said that these challenges were due to written permissions from the Awami League government, adding, “These permissions should not have been given.”
“A major problem arises from the written assurances that enabled India to carry out certain activities. One of the most important issues concerns the Tin Bigha corridor,” he said.
According to Jahangir Alam, under the 1974 agreement, Bangladesh handed over Berubari to India after ratification by Parliament. In return, India was supposed to grant Bangladesh access to the Tin Bigha corridor, but did not fulfill this obligation.
“They opened the corridor for an hour and then closed it for another hour. Later, in 2010, a new agreement was signed to keep the corridor open for 24 hours. However, this is [2010] The agreement also allowed India to build a border fence on the Zero Line at Angarpota. Now we are faced with the challenge of opposing this construction as Bangladesh has signed this agreement,” he claimed.
With input from agencies.