Shillong, April 4: With growing anti-India stand in Bangladesh, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma on Friday chaired a meeting with the state government officials, the police, the BSF, the Customs and the Intelligence Bureau to review the border situation.
The chief minister admitted that the meeting assumed significance after the statement made by the chief advisor of interim Bangladesh government Muhammad Yunus who labelled the seven Northeastern states as isolated region and Bangladesh as protector.
Yunus made this observation during the recent visit to China to attract investors to Bangladesh.
According to the chief minister, the statement of the Bangladesh leader is very offensive and its impact is very serious and ‘unacceptable to us as a state government and citizens of the nation’.
“It is important for the state governments of the North East too. We have to be ready and we need to understand the overall situation and we need the coordination of various agencies”, he added.
However, the chief minister did not want to reveal the action plan to maintain security in the border.
BSF to keep vigil
In a separate statement, the BSF said OP Upadhyay, Inspector General of BSF Meghalaya Frontier, attended the meeting chaired by the CM.
Thanking for the support extended by the state administration and police, the IG BSF apprised the CM about the issues related to border security, cross-border movement, coordination and cooperation between BSF and state agencies.
During the discussion, the IG BSF updated the chief minister on the current security situation along the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya and BSF’s efforts to prevent trans-border crimes, smuggling, and illegal infiltration. The chief minister acknowledged BSF’s vital role in safeguarding the international border and ensuring citizen safety.
Conrad emphasized the importance of continued collaboration, intelligence sharing, and community engagement to maintain peace and security in border areas. Additionally, the meeting addressed developmental concerns in border villages and explored ways to enhance coordination among the BSF, state agencies, and local communities. The IG BSF reaffirmed the force’s commitment to national security and assured full cooperation with the state government in maintaining law and order along the international boundary.
