SOURCE: ANI The five-member Indian committee to monitor the current situation along the Bangladesh border has made communication with their counterparts while the border guarding forces of the two countries have held 83 flag meetings in the last three days as well as 241 simultaneous coordinating patrolling in the vulnerable border area. The Border Security Force (BSF) shared the input informing that “a meeting of members to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border was held on August 10 in conformity to directions of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)”. The Indian government on August 9 had constituted a five-member committee to monitor the current situation on the India-Bangladesh border to maintain communication channels with their counterpart authorities in Bangladesh to ensure the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in the neighbouring country. The meeting was headed by the chairman of the committee Ravi Gandhi, Additional Director General of Border Security Force (BSF), Eastern Command. Other members of the committee including Inspector General (IG), BSF Frontier HQ South Bengal; IG, BSF Frontier HQ Tripura; Member (Planning and Development); Land Ports Authority of India (LPAI), and, Secretary, LPAI, took part in he meeting. Besides, the force said, in order to reach out to counterparts up to the Border Out Post or Company level, both the border guarding forces– BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB)– have had around 83 flag meetings at various levels in the last three days. “Both the border guarding forces had around 241 Simultaneous Coordinating Patrolling in vulnerable border area of Eastern Command AOR (Area OfResponsibility),” said the BSF, which guards 4096 km India-Bangladesh border. While appreciating the BGB’s role in preventing the Bangladeshi nationals from coming to the border, the force said, that BSF authorities impressed upon to protect the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh. “It may be mentioned that Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has not only been cooperating with BSF on International border on operatons matters but also taking all steps for safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh in collaboration with their civil authorities,” stated the BSF. In fact, on August 9, 2024, when 1,500 Bangladeshi nationals had assembled near zero line on the Coochbehar-Lalmonirhat district border inside Bangladesh, the BSF mentioned, the BGB then made efforts in collaboration with civil authorities of Lalmonirhat district, Bangladesh to persuade them to return. In the above bilateral field meetings, the force said, matters related to border security and other mutual interests have also been discussed.