Fourth of its kind, the two-day Bangladesh-India Joint Boundary Working Group (JBWG) meeting expects to settle the issues that caused fierce clashes and tension between the bordering forces of both the countries on several occasions.

"The joint working group is meeting after over four years with an aim to settle the matters," Home Ministry Joint Secretary (Political) Akhtar Ahmed, who is leading the 19-member Bangladesh delegation, told reporters yesterday on the sidelines of the meeting.

"We have some specific proposals while they [Indian delegation] have their own. We will make our deliberations to settle the matters at this meeting," he said, without detailing further Bangladesh's proposals.

Mohan Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of External Affairs, is leading the 16-member Indian delegation at the meeting that began at state guest house Meghna.

Officials concerned of both the countries met thrice earlier to settle the longstanding issues since the fierce clashes between Bangladesh Rifles and Indian Border Security Forces on Roumari in Kurigram bordering Mankerchar town of Assam that began on April 18, 2001.

Fifteen BSF members and two Bangladeshi border guards were killed when the BDR repulsed an attack by intruding BSF forces there.

The major agenda of the meeting is demarcation of 6.5kilometre long border in Daikhata, Lathitila-Dumabari, and along Muhuri river.

Exchanging enclaves is another major issue. Bangladesh awaits exchange of 51 enclaves, which are presently in its possession, with 111 enclaves in India's possession, in line with the 1974 Bangladesh-India Land Boundary Agreement.

The JBWG officials are also likely to discuss exchanging the adversely held bordering lands.

The JBWG first met in May 2001 in Delhi and again in Dhaka a month later.

After their last meeting held in March 2002 in Delhi, officials concerned submitted their proposals to their respective government for settling the longstanding issues. But the move came to a stop later.

Asked whether the JBWG discussion would be based on the reports prepared earlier by officials of the two countries, the Bangladesh delegation chief yesterday said, "Of course the reports will figure during the meeting. But we also have conducted detailed work on this later. All these will be discussed during the meeting."

Bangladesh officials said non-implementation of the land boundary agreement, signed on May 16, 1974 by then prime ministers Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and Indira Gandhi, is responsible for occasional outbreak of skirmishes along the border.

Although the Bangladesh government ratified the agreement through the Third Amendment of the Constitution on November 28, 1974, the Indian government is yet to do so.