Foreign Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday said that the Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) protested the recent incidents of border killing and held a flag meeting in this regard.
"We have long been discussing with India. When I visited India recently, we discussed the issue with much importance so that non lethal weapons are used along the border. Now, compared to the past, use of non lethal weapons has increased," he told reporters at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs at a media briefing.
The Foreign Minister described the recent border killings in Lalmonirhat and Naogaon and said that the death at the border have been reduced due to the use of non-lethal weapons by Indian border guards.
Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Indian Border Security Force (BSF) have agreed to bring down the border casualties of Bangladeshi nationals to zero by enhancing joint patrolling, vigilance, intensifying public awareness programme, preventing criminals or inhabitants from crossing border and sharing information.
Since BGB and BSF are in engagement, he said, they think problems can be solved there.
When questioned by the BSF, they surrounded the guards. The BSF in turn opened fire, injuring two people.
One of them returned to the country, but the other died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in India.
On the same day, another person was killed at the border in Naogaon.
According to reports, on 26 March, a group of Bangladeshi nationals, including Al Amin, attempted to smuggle cattle from India into Bangladesh through the Malda border area. When BSF opened fire, Al Amin was fatally shot.
The Bangladesh Border Guard (BGB) protested these incidents and held a flag meeting as well, said the minister during the press briefing.
Replying to a question over the current situation of MV Abdullah taken hostage with its crew by Somali pirates, the minister said there has been progress in the governments efforts to free the Bangladeshi ship. "Our aim is to rescue the sailors unharmed and at the same time rescue the ship. I just want to say that we have advanced much," he told reporters.
Hasan Mahmud said they are in contact and are making multifaceted efforts to rescue the crew members.
Regarding the reported food shortage on the ship, he said food shortage has never happened in the past when ships have been hijacked. "Hopefully it won happen in this case either."
