India’s neighbor seeks to scrap ‘uneven’ border agreements

The interim government in Bangladesh is aiming to review previous arrangements with New Delhi

Bangladesh’s interim government is planning to take a strong stance on border issues with India, local media reported on Wednesday, citing senior officials. The remarks come ahead of a meeting between Indian and Bangladeshi border officials expected to take place next month.

Talks between the top border security officials of the two countries are scheduled for February 17-20 in New Delhi, according to the Dhaka Tribune. It will be the first such meeting since the regime change in Dhaka last year.

Bangladeshi Home Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told the media on Wednesday that Dhaka is planning to “alter its tone” in negotiations with India and seek to cancel “unequal” border treaties signed under the previous government led by former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina. In August 2024, Hasina was forced to resign following massive protests and fled the country to India.

“The way it was spoken before, this time, the tone of the speech will be different,” Jahangir stated, according to the Dhaka Tribune. He added that border killings will be a major focus of the discussions and that firing at unarmed civilians should stop. Bangladesh will also take up issues of illegal crossings, fencing, and border demarcation in disputed areas.’

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Border tensions between the two neighbors have intensified in recent months, adding to the already complicated relationship following the ousting of Hasina. Earlier this month, the Bangladeshi Foreign Ministry summoned the Indian high commissioner in Dhaka to convey “deep concern” over the “unauthorized attempts to construct barbed wire fencing” by Indian border forces. New Delhi responded by saying it had “observed all protocols and agreements between the two governments.”

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096.7-km border, over 900km of which is yet to be fenced. India began fencing it in 1986 amid rising concerns over Bangladeshi migration. More recently, New Delhi has argued the need for fencing by citing “cross-border criminal activities, smuggling, movement of criminals, and trafficking.” The same concerns have been voiced by Bangladeshi officials. In recent weeks, instances of clashes between local populations, mainly farmers, living near the border have been reported in the media. Dhaka also accused India’s Border Security Force of allegedly killing a Bangladeshi citizen, identified as Saidul Islam, in early January.

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The caretaker government in Bangladesh, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, earlier stated that it would review some of the agreements with India made under Hasina’s rule, including power purchase deals. The interim administration also sought Hasina’s extradition in December. Officials in Dhaka assert that Hasina must face charges concerning her alleged involvement in incidents of violence and disappearances during the 2024 protests that led to her resignation. However, earlier in January, the former prime minister’s visa was reportedly extended by India, which has not yet formally responded to extradition demands.