The 19th Home Secretary Level Talks (HSLT) between India and Bangladesh were held virtually today in the backdrop of ‘Mujib Barsho’ and 50 years of the Bangladesh Liberation War and establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.
The Indian delegation was led by Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla and the Bangladesh delegation by Mostafa Kamal Uddin, Senior Secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh.
Both Secretaries reiterated their commitment to further expand and strengthen mutual cooperation in security and border related issues. Both sides reaffirmed not to allow the territory of either country to be used for any activity inimical to each other’s interests.The two delegations discussed early completion of the pending fencing along the Indo Bangladesh Border (IBB) as agreed by the Prime Ministers of the two countries.
They appreciated cooperation between the two countries and the action taken to address the menace of terrorism and extremism in an effective manner.
The effective functioning of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP)to control the illegal cross border activities was appreciated by both parties.
The holding of the inaugural Police Chiefs’ Dialogue in January, 2021, implementing the decision taken at the Home Minister Level Talks (HMLT) held in August, 2019, was noted with appreciation by both sides.
Both sides agreed to further enhance the level of cooperation to prevent the smuggling of Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) and contraband.Bangladesh appreciated assistance provided by India in the field of training and capacity building for various security agencies. “Both sides reviewed the entire gamut of security and border related cooperation and agreed to work closely to fulfill the shared vision of the leadership of the two countries,” it said.