No border killing in six months: Pankaj

Though killings along the border are still on, Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka Pankaj Saran on Wednesday said there had been no border killing over the last six months.

“I knew that there had been no border killing over the six months. But if something happens yesterday or today, definitely I’ll check it out. To be honest, I’m not aware of this (today’s killings). This shouldn’t happen,” the Indian envoy said at a meet-the-press programme at the National Press Club.

When his attention was drawn to border killing that took place in April and May this year, Pankaj Saran said, “Let me go back and I’ll check it out. We always check out why it happened.”

Two Bangladeshi cattle traders were shot dead and two others injured by Indian Border Security Force (BSF) on Patutkhali border under Benapole Police Station of Jessore early Wednesday.

Press Club President Kamal Uddin Sabuj, General Secretary Abdal Ahmed and vice president Rownak Jahan were also present.

He said it is the joint responsibility of Bangladesh and India to address the disputes over cattle smuggling, physidyl and other illegal activities along the border. “We can’t solve (border) problems alone. You also have a role to play.”

On unsettled Teesta Water Sharing agreement and ratification of the Land Boundary Agreement (LBA) by the Indian parliament, the Indian envoy said, “There’s a feeling that India has achieved more in relations with Bangladesh…this is a relationship in which both sides are gaining.”

Pankaj said it is true that it has been taken decades for them to reach a situation where they signed the LBA protocol in 2011 after 1974. “We both Bangladesh and India have wasted times…Indian government is committed to ratifying it through passing it in Parliament.”

He said the LBA was supposed to be passed in the last parliament session but it could not happen. “The ratification is very important. We’ll continue to move this forward.”

He laid emphasis on maximising gains without harming each other. “We can maximise our gains without harming each other. Let’s work together. We need to maximise our gains. This is a universal proposition. There’s a lot of thing that we can do together.”

The Indian envoy said Bangladesh and India are facing the common challenges and it is high time to fight together to overcome those challenges.

On Teesta issue, he said efforts are on in this regard since both governments have agreed on it.

He also said the Indian Water Resources Minister is coming here next week to attend the 38th Joint River Commission meeting in Dhaka. “The meeting has a vast agenda. Teesta will be one of that.”

Pankaj Saran also said the cooperation between neighbouring countries like Bangladesh and India does not mean the loss of sovereignty. “When we cooperate on a certain set of issues, it doesn’t follow that via this cooperation, we somehow sacrifice our sovereignty,” he said.

He also said India respects the sovereignty, the territorial integrity and the independence of Bangladesh.

The Indian High Commissioner further said both Bangladesh and India are here to stay and no one of the countries is going anywhere. “So, we’ve to learn to work together to solve our problems together, and we have to cooperate together.”

Pankaj mentioned that both Bangladesh and India can benefit from working together to maximise gains if this is done through a cooperative approach to problem solving.

“Within this framework, I believe there’re a lot we can do together,” he added.

Source: UNB Connect