B'desh, India agree to defuse border tensions

Dhaka, Friday (Xinhua) - Bangladesh and India agreed to work in close cooperation to curb "all types of border crimes" and take effective measures to defuse border tensions.

"There is a peaceful atmosphere now prevailing at the frontier, " an official announcement said in Dhaka following the decisions and steps taken at a border conference held in India.

The high-level conference between the Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) concluded in the capital of eastern Indian State of Tripura.

At the four-day BDR-BSF meet the two sides discussed a wide range of contentious issues that fuel tensions along the long- drawn border between the two neighboring countries.

The hottest of all the topics was the construction of barbed- wire fences as well as roads, bridges and pump houses on the Indian side within 150 yards of the no man's land.

Firing on and killing of innocent and unarmed Bangladeshi people by Indian BSF and citizens and intrusion by BSF personnel were among other irritants discussed.

The agenda also included setting up BSF camp at the Bangladesh- India border and smuggling of arms, ammunition, explosives, drugs and other contrabands.

Some "effective measures" have been taken at the meeting to mitigate border tensions that heightened in recent times following border clashes, the announcement said.