Bangladesh, India discuss curbing cross-border crime at home secretary-level talks

The 19th Home Secretary Level Talks between India and Bangladesh were held virtually today against the backdrop of Mujib Borsho, 50 years of Bangladesh's independence and the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The Indian delegation was led by the country's Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla while Mostafa Kamal Uddin, senior secretary, Public Security Division, Ministry of Home Affairs of Bangladesh led the Bangladesh delegation, reports our New Delhi correspondent quoting a press release issued by the Indian home ministry.

India and Bangladesh attach the highest importance to their bilateral relations, the release states. The secretaries reiterated their commitment to expand and further strengthen cooperation in security and border-related issues and reaffirmed not to allow territory of either country to be used for any activity harmful to each other's interests.

Both sides also discussed the early completion of pending fencing along the Indo-Bangladesh Border, as agreed by the prime ministers of the two countries.

The effective functioning of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) to control the illegal cross-border activities was appreciated by both sides.

They also appreciated the cooperation between the two countries and the action taken to address the menace of terrorism and extremism effectively.

Both sides agreed to further enhance the level of cooperation to prevent the smuggling of fake Indian currency notes and contraband while Bangladesh appreciated the assistance provided by India in the field of training and capacity building for various security agencies.

They also 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.