Thursday, October 27 2005 14:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: India and Bangladesh today (Oct 27, 2005) held Home Secretary-level talks during which border management and security issues, including the presence of Indian insurgent groups in the neighboring country, figured prominently.

Senior officials of both Governments and Border Security Forces (BSF) also discussed cross-border illegal migration from Bangladesh during the two-day talks from today, official sources said.

Speaking to media persons before the start of the parleys, Home Secretary V K Duggal said, "We will discuss border management and security issues."

"We have come here with an open mind," his Bangladeshi counterpart Safar Raj Hossain said.

The sources said India conveyed to Bangladesh its concern about the presence and activities of Indian insurgent groups in that country.

Though Bangladesh has been assuring India that it would not allow its territory to be used by militants for anti-India activities, New Delhi is of the view that militant outfits and their leaders continue to operate from across the border.

Among other issues which figured during the parleys was the proper implementation and understanding of the 1975 border guidelines to allow border fencing and developmental work to be undertaken without any hindrance, checking arms smuggling and steps to carry out joint patrolling to check trans-border crimes.

India suggested the need to convene a meeting of the Joint Boundary Working Group to address pending issues relating to demarcation of land boundary, adverse possessions and enclaves. New Delhi also pushed for accords on extradition, mutual legal assistance, ways to combat drug trafficking and consular access during the talks.

The Bangladeshi delegation would meet Home Minister Shivraj Patil and Exteral Affairs Minister K Natwar Singh during its stay here.

The last round of Home Secretary-level talks between the two countries was held in Dhaka in September last year.

New Delhi suggested appointment of nodal officers on both sides to check trafficking of women and children besides setting up of a joint border-working group.

The issue of release of a BSF watercraft seized by the Bangladesh authorities a few years back also formed part of the agenda.