Bangladesh and India on Thursday discussed the issue related to border killing by the security forces and agreed that the shared objective should be ‘no crime, no death’ strategy.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar made the comment, while replying to a question after his meeting with his counterpart Dr AK Abdul Momen at the state guesthouse Padma.
He made the daylong visit mainly to take preparations for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit on March 26 and 27, first in outside India since the coronavirus pandemic.
But, still they discussed a wide range of ongoing “bilateral issues as well as bilateral interests that we can take forward in the days ahead,” Dr Momen said.
“We focused on possible ways to materialise our commitments and how to prioritise and accommodate each other’s priorities in a mutually beneficial manner. Covid cooperation, connectivity, trade, water, security, border and lines of credit are some of the areas we discussed,” he said.
Highlighting the bilateral relations, Jaishankar said: “Our comfort levels are so high now that we have shown that there is no issue that we cannot discuss and resolve through amicable dialogue.”
Despite such engagements between the countries, border death remained a big question in Bangladesh.
Both foreign ministers said they had discussed the issue during the meeting.
Jaishankar said many of those deaths take place deep inside the Indian territory.
“So we discussed it. We discussed as neighbour and friend should,” he said, adding that every death is “regrettable”. But, during the meeting they also asked to ask themselves what is the problem?
“And we know the problem. The problem is because of crime. Our shared objective should be a ‘no crime, no death’ border. I am sure if we can get it right - no crime, no death - we can together address the problem effectively,” he said.
He also highlighted the significance of the bilateral relations and said “Bangladesh lies in its centrality for our ‘Neighbourhood First' and its growing relevance for our ’Act East’ Policy.”
“We see Bangladesh as a key neighbour and a valued partner not only in South Asia but also in the broader Indo-Pacific region. Every outcome and achievement in our relationship resonates through the region. It is no secret that we cite it to others as an example for emulation,” he said.
During his visit, he also met Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and inaugurated a new Indira Gandhi Cultural Center (IGCC) in Gulshan 2, Dhaka.