DHAKA: A top-level meeting between Bangladesh Rifles and the Indian Border Security Force begins in Pilkhana headquarters of the host border force at 10 am Thursday.

BSF director-general Raman Srivastava will lead a 21-member delegation of India arrived on Wednesday afternoon to attend the meet. BDR chief Major-General Rafiqul Islam welcomed them at the airport.

Public relations officer of BDR Mohsin Reja said the BDR Director- General will head the host team of 22 members at the talks on a wide agenda.

Sources said Bangladesh and India would take several joint steps at the meet “to curb terrorist activities and crimes in border areas”.

The two sides will discuss joint patrol on the frontier and combined border management, they added.

A competent source in the ministry of home affairs told banglanews that at least seven issues would be tabled for talk.

The agenda include stopping the killing of Bangladeshis on the border by BSF, joint patrol on the frontier, combined border management, push-in and pushback, smuggling, land grabbing by Khasias in the border areas and establishments within 150 yards of no man’s land.

After the BDR carnage in Pilkhana headquarters of the Bangladesh border force, this is going to be the fourth meeting between the border security forces of the two neighbouring countries.

The sources said the Indian team would visit the border areas in Chittagong and Rangamati.

The BSF chief will also meet with the minister and the secretary of the ministry of home affairs during their stay in Dhaka. They will return to New Delhi on September 27.

BDST: 1520 HRS, SEPT 22, 2010