Bangladesh News Bangladesh - India Relation

Afif said:

They entered BD illegally, it only normal that they will be arrested. Who plays what when?

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When Bangladeshis do that then we have full right to shoot them.

dronie said:

When Bangladeshis do that then we have full right to shoot them.

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You already have a disturbing track record of shooting women and children. Not just smugglers. Yet we are sensible enough to not use lethal forces when it is not neccessary. BGB mostly apprehend and rarely use direct fires.

How often does this kind of border crossing occur ? Seems like it's really difficult to tell where the borders are.

Building roads could be a way to mark the borders or something like a road at more difficult accessible places.

Saithan said:

How often does this kind of border crossing occur ?

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It happens often but now it's happening even more since there’s no BAL/authority subservient to India. Now they are more aggressive.

Saithan said:

Seems like it's really difficult to tell where the borders are.

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Saithan said:

Building roads could be a way to mark the borders or something like a road at more difficult accessible places.

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There are border pillers and India put fences, roads in their parts. We started building roads on Myanmar borders few years ago.

Afif said:

You already have a disturbing track record of shooting women and children. Not just smugglers. Yet we are sensible enough to not use lethal forces when it is not neccessary. BGB mostly apprehend and rarely use direct fires.

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We already build a fence that is a simple don't cross sign that people should respect.

This is their headache too?

India today (27 June) banned imports of certain jute products and woven fabrics from Bangladesh through any land port on the border, reports Times of India.

The restricted items include jute products, flax tow and waste, jute and other bast fibres, single and multiple jute yarns, woven fabrics of flax, and unbleached woven fabrics of jute.

However, import of such goods will be allowed only through Nhava Sheva seaport in Maharashtra, India's Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The DGFT also clarified that these restrictions will not apply to Bangladeshi goods transiting through India to Nepal and Bhutan. However, re-exports of these products from Bangladesh to India via Nepal and Bhutan will not be allowed.

This move marks the third such curtailment by India in recent months, according to Times of India. On 17 May, India imposed similar port restrictions on imports from Bangladesh, including ready-made garments and processed food items.

On 9 April, the Indian government withdrew transshipment facilities previously extended to Bangladesh for exports to the Middle East and Europe, with exceptions made only for Nepal and Bhutan.

Earlier, on 28 March, Bangladesh halted the import of yarns through land ports, following longstanding demands from local textile mill owners.

Bilateral trade between India and Bangladesh stood at $12.9 billion in the fiscal year 2023-24, with India's exports at $11.46 billion and imports at $2 billion, according to Times of India.

The interim government's decision to cancel 16 development projects worth around US$3.0 billion under India's Line of Credit (LoC) schemes due to excessive delays in both project implementation and fund disbursement by the lender is a step in the right direction.

Quoting official sources familiar with the matter, The Financial Express recently reported that the government has already formed a technical committee to work out an exit plan for the projects on the drop list.

The projects selected for cancellation are reportedly under the LoC-2 and LoC-3 financing schemes. Most of these projects have seen little to no progress, mainly due to delays in consultant selection or the absence of necessary approvals from the Indian side.

Project implementation under the LoCs had already been sluggish because of stringent conditions attached to the loans; and following the fall of the Hasina government, the situation worsened as Indian contractors and workers abandoned project sites, citing security concerns. As a result, these projects have been left in limbo, making it essential for the government to explore alternative options.

The Indian credit, which began with the first Line of Credit (LoC) worth US$862 million in 2010, increased to US$7.362 billion by 2017 with the addition of two more LoCs. However, only US$1.73 billion has been disbursed since August 5 last year.

Under this loan schemes, there were a total of 40 projects including roads, railways, and infrastructure development in shipping and energy sectors. Till date, only 15 projects have been completed, eight are ongoing and the rest remain stalled at preliminary stages, either in the process of selecting consultants and contractors or still preparing proposals.

The loan schemes were present as soft loans, as they carried an interest rate of just 1.0 per cent. However, the terms of the loans have proven far from favourable as they came with stringent conditions. For example, a key stipulation requires Bangladesh to source 75 per cent of project materials including goods and services from India.

Moreover, only Indian contractors have been awarded these projects, and it has been alleged that they inflated costs at their own discretion. Worse still, every stage of implementation, from land acquisition and tender preparation to design and final approval, is subjected to approval from the Exim Bank of India. A significant portion of the workforce also consists of Indian nationals. Given these constraints, questions have been raised as to why Bangladesh agreed to such loan terms in the first place, apparently at the expense of national sovereignty.

Many have also raised questions about the true motives behind the construction of some of these projects. A number the projects under these LoCs, including the construction of roads and railways on certain routes, would primarily benefit India, as the Awami League government had been actively working towards granting India transit facilities to transport goods to its northeastern states through Bangladesh.

How absurd it was that Bangladesh was constructing infrastructure to serve Indian interests, even while agreeing to harsh and self-defeating loan terms. It is therefore time to launch a thorough investigation into the LoC-funded projects and scrap those that have made little to no progress.

Admittedly, Bangladesh needs foreign fund to develop infrastructure, across different sectors such as power and energy, transport, urban and social to support its growing economy, urbanisation and large population.

As Bangladesh aims to enhance its global trade competitiveness and sustain its growth momentum in the post-LDC era, robust infrastructure development will be critical. Introduction of infrastructure bonds could help bridge the financing gap reducing reliance on foreign loans of stringent and unfavourable terms.

The government has taken note of an Islamic group in Dhaka, ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’, which is backed by a Turkish NGO called the 'Turkish Youth Federation', that has put out a map of the so-called ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that includes parts of India, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said. Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)(Sansad TV)

S Jaishankar, in a written statement in response to Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala's starred question in the Rajya Sabha, said the map in question was displayed at Dhaka University.

The EAM said the government is closely monitoring developments that have implications for India’s national security and continues to take all necessary measures to safeguard it.

"The Government has taken note of reports that an Islamist group in Dhaka called the ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’, backed by a Turkish NGO called the ‘Turkish Youth Federation’, has put out a map of the so-called ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that includes parts of India. The map was displayed in the Dhaka University," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs quoted Jaishankar as saying.

"The Government of Bangladesh fact-checker platform, ‘BanglaFact’, claimed that there is no evidence of ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’ operating in Bangladesh. It further clarified that the ‘map’ was displayed at a historical exhibition in reference to the so-called earlier Bengal Sultanate," the statement added.

The MEA statement said that the map in question was displayed at an exhibition held at Dhaka University on the occasion of Pohela Boisakh on April 14, 2025. It added that the organizers behind the exhibition denied any connections with any foreign political entity.

The minister's statement came in response to Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's starred question in the Rajya Sabha.

Surjewala had sought details from the government over a radical group in Bangladesh backed by Turkey and involved in promoting a ‘Greater Bangladesh’ map that includes parts of the Indian territory.

The Congress leader questioned if the government has raised the issue diplomatically with the Bangladesh government and whether the government has assessed the security implications of increased Turkish and Pakistani engagement in Bangladesh.


In Lalmonirhat, near the Bangladesh-India border, people saw 8–10 drones flying at night. The drones flew about 1,200 feet high and may have entered Bangladesh up to 1 kilometer. Villagers got scared and left their homes to find safety.

Since then, daily life has been affected. People are too worried to focus on farming or normal work. They are asking for clear information from the authorities.

So far, no official statement has come from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) or any government source. Reports say BGB is investigating and talking with Indian border forces, but no formal update has been shared yet.

Villagers are concerned because so many drones flew together at such a high level, even if they were just for watching. They want a proper investigation and answers soon.

Isa Khan said:

The government has taken note of an Islamic group in Dhaka, ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’, which is backed by a Turkish NGO called the 'Turkish Youth Federation', that has put out a map of the so-called ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that includes parts of India, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said. Union External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar speaks in the Rajya Sabha during the Monsoon session of Parliament, in New Delhi. (Sansad TV via PTI Photo)(Sansad TV)

S Jaishankar, in a written statement in response to Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala's starred question in the Rajya Sabha, said the map in question was displayed at Dhaka University.

The EAM said the government is closely monitoring developments that have implications for India’s national security and continues to take all necessary measures to safeguard it.

"The Government has taken note of reports that an Islamist group in Dhaka called the ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’, backed by a Turkish NGO called the ‘Turkish Youth Federation’, has put out a map of the so-called ‘Greater Bangladesh’ that includes parts of India. The map was displayed in the Dhaka University," a statement from the Ministry of External Affairs quoted Jaishankar as saying.

"The Government of Bangladesh fact-checker platform, ‘BanglaFact’, claimed that there is no evidence of ‘Saltanat-e-Bangla’ operating in Bangladesh. It further clarified that the ‘map’ was displayed at a historical exhibition in reference to the so-called earlier Bengal Sultanate," the statement added.

The MEA statement said that the map in question was displayed at an exhibition held at Dhaka University on the occasion of Pohela Boisakh on April 14, 2025. It added that the organizers behind the exhibition denied any connections with any foreign political entity.

The minister's statement came in response to Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala's starred question in the Rajya Sabha.

Surjewala had sought details from the government over a radical group in Bangladesh backed by Turkey and involved in promoting a ‘Greater Bangladesh’ map that includes parts of the Indian territory.

The Congress leader questioned if the government has raised the issue diplomatically with the Bangladesh government and whether the government has assessed the security implications of increased Turkish and Pakistani engagement in Bangladesh.

S Jaishankar says Islamist group 'Saltanat-e-Bangla', backed by Turkish NGO, behind ‘Greater Bangladesh' map

Jaishankar said the government is closely monitoring developments with implications for national security and continues to take measures to safeguard it.

www.hindustantimes.com

In Lalmonirhat, near the Bangladesh-India border, people saw 8–10 drones flying at night. The drones flew about 1,200 feet high and may have entered Bangladesh up to 1 kilometer. Villagers got scared and left their homes to find safety.

Since then, daily life has been affected. People are too worried to focus on farming or normal work. They are asking for clear information from the authorities.

So far, no official statement has come from the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) or any government source. Reports say BGB is investigating and talking with Indian border forces, but no formal update has been shared yet.

Villagers are concerned because so many drones flew together at such a high level, even if they were just for watching. They want a proper investigation and answers soon.

https://www.dailycountrytodaybd.com/story/drones-spotted-near-bangladesh-india-border-in-lalmonirhat#:~:text=In%20Lalmonirhat%2C%20near%20the%20Bangladesh,daily%20life%20has%20been%20affected.

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Some sect or something?

Highlights:

• Bangladesh has 24 government-run land ports
• 8 are inactive or unprofitable
  • Chilahati in Nilphamari, Doulatganj in Chuadanga, Tegamukh in Rangamati closed
  • Balla in Rangamati operations suspended due to incomplete Indian-side infrastructure
• Nakugaon, Gobrakura-Koroitoli, Dhanua Kamalpur, and Birol land ports inactive too

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The government has decided to shut three unprofitable land ports on the Bangladesh-India border and suspend operations at another, citing the absence of trade, immigration activities and basic infrastructure.

The ports to be closed are Chilahati in Nilphamari, Doulatganj in Chuadanga, and Tegamukh in Rangamati, all under the Bangladesh Land Port Authority. Officials said the ports have no commercial prospects, and that closing them would prevent wasteful investment.

Meanwhile, operations at the Balla land port in Habiganj, will be put on hold due to a lack of facilities on the Indian side.

The decision was taken on 28 July at an inter-ministerial meeting chaired by planning ministry Adviser Dr Wahiduddin Mahmud, in presence of officials from the Planning Division, shipping ministry, National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh Trade and Tariff Commission and other related agencies.

These four land ports are among eight identified as unprofitable and inactive. These also include Nakugaon in Sherpur, Gobrakura-Koroitoli in Mymensingh, Dhanua Kamalpur in Jamalpur, and Birol in Dinajpur.

According to shipping ministry sources, Bangladesh currently has 24 government-run land ports.

To decide on matters related to these ports, a shipping ministry committee inspected the sites before submitting a detailed report to the inter-ministerial meeting.

Earlier, an Advisory Council meeting on 22 June reviewed a shipping ministry proposal to close the three ports and suspend Balla's operations.

As per the inter-ministerial meeting minutes, Chilahati, Doulatganj and Tegamukh currently have no import-export or immigration activity, and no land or infrastructure.

Furthermore, as there is no commercial potential in the foreseeable future, a decision has been made to close them to avoid unprofitable investments, the minutes stated.

In the case of Balla, Bangladesh has built infrastructure, but the corresponding facilities in India's Paharmura remain incomplete, preventing operations.

The meeting recommended keeping Balla closed until the Indian side is developed, while also exploring alternative uses for the site. It also decided to take steps to prevent unnecessary infrastructure construction at other unprofitable land ports.

Chilahati land port

The Chilahati land port, in Domar upazila of Nilphamari, lies opposite the Haldibari Land Customs Station in Cooch Behar, West Bengal, India.

Though declared a land port on 28 July 2013, no land has been purchased nor any infrastructure built for the port, according to the shipping ministry report. On the Indian side, there are no port-related infrastructure facilities, and no authorised posts or manpower are in operation at this point, it said.

The location has a rail link with India, allowing the movement of goods by train. Moreover, the Burimari land port also falls under this jurisdiction.

The committee, noting the absence of Indian facilities at Haldibari, recommended closure of Chilahati, as Lalmonirhat's Burimari port is only 60km away.

Doulatganj land port

Situated at the Changkhali border of Chuadanga's Jibannagar upazila, Doulatganj was declared a land port on 31 July 2013, decades after its customs station was shut in 1965.

Currently, neither the customs station nor the land port is operational.

The shipping ministry's report noted that the Bangladesh Land Port Authority does not own any land or infrastructure at the site. Also there are no Indian facilities across the border. The nearest port, Darshana land port, is around 15 kilometres away, while Benapole land port is about 70 kilometres from the location.

Given the proximity to Darshana and the absence of necessary facilities on both sides of the border, the committee recommended closing the port.

Tegamukh land port

Located in Barkal upazila of Rangamati, Tegamukh customs station was declared a land port on 30 June 2013. Opposite Tegamukh, on the Indian side, lies Demagri in the state of Mizoram.

The Bangladesh Land Port Authority does not own any land or infrastructure at the site, and there is no road connectivity between Bangladesh and India in this area. The port has no operational Land Customs Station (LCS), and there are currently no import-export or immigration activities, according to the on-site inspection report.

As there is also no road link to the Indian side, the committee recommended closing the port.

Balla land port

According to the report, the Balla land port, declared a land port on 23 March 2016, is located in Kedar Kot area of Gazipur union under Chunarughat upazila in Habiganj district. On the Indian side, opposite the port, lies the Paharmura (Khowai) Land Customs Station.

A total of 13 acres of land has been acquired at a cost of Tk48.89 crore, and the necessary infrastructure has already been constructed. However, the report stated that due to the absence of infrastructure and a connecting road on the Indian side, the newly built port facilities have not yet been put into operation.

While the Indian authorities have customs and immigration services at the Paharmura point opposite Balla, operations at the new site have not started. Currently, import and export activities are being carried out through the old Balla customs station.


Following restrictions imposed over the past six months on imports of certain Bangladeshi products via land ports, the Indian government has now added more items to the list, including bleached woven fabric of man-made fibre, twine, cordage, rope, and sacks and bags made of jute.

"[These items]...imports from Bangladesh shall not be allowed through any land port on the India–Bangladesh border. However, they will be allowed only through the Nhava Sheva Seaport," stated a notification today issued by the Directorate General of Foreign Trade under India's Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

Previously, India had restricted a large number of items – including garments, textiles, jute, and other products – from entering via land ports amid growing tensions between the two governments following Bangladesh's student-led uprising and the fall of the Hasina-led regime on 5 August last year.

Bangladeshi entrepreneurs have termed this a non-tariff barrier by the Indian government, warning that it may hinder trade relations between the two nations.

"Due to the Indian government's restrictions over the past few months, along with the earlier anti-dumping duty on jute products, Bangladesh's jute and jute goods exports to India have declined. The new notification will hit the sector hard," said Rashedul Karim Munna, one of the country's jute goods exporters and managing director of Creation Private Limited.

He added, "Kolkata-based businesses are the main buyers of Bangladeshi jute and jute products, as transporting goods there is easier and more cost-effective. If importers are forced to use Mumbai's Nhava Sheva Seaport instead, costs could rise more than sixfold, making Bangladeshi products less competitive."

Abdul Barik Khan, secretary general of the Bangladesh Jute Mills Association, told TBS, "We have to explore new markets."

Apparel exporters noted that the restricted product list could also affect Bangladesh's potential man-made fibre exports to India.

Indian state-run explorers ONGC Videsh Ltd (OVL) and Oil India Ltd (OIL) have exited two offshore oil and gas blocks in Bangladesh following the invocation of performance bank guarantees by Petrobangla.

According to a report by The Hindu Businessline, the decision comes amid a sharp deterioration in diplomatic and trade relations between India and Bangladesh since the ouster of former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina last year after mass student-led protests.

The two companies, in consortium with Bangladesh Petroleum Exploration & Production Company (BAPEX), had jointly bid for shallow offshore blocks SS-04 and SS-09. OVL and OIL each held a 45% participating interest, with BAPEX owning the remaining 10%.

OIL, in its Q1 FY26 results filing on Tuesday, said it has decided to exit the projects, making a provision of ₹307.43 crore towards impairment of wells, other assets, and unfinished work programmes.

The company's management confirmed during an investor call on Wednesday that the withdrawal is in coordination with OVL.

In a separate filing, ONGC stated, "In respect of subsidiary OVL, on February 14, 2025, Petrobangla invoked bank guarantee (BG) of $16.4 million and $16.7 million for Block SS-04 and Block SS-09, Bangladesh, respectively. The board of OVL, on 27 June 2025, approved termination of production sharing contracts (PSCs) for blocks SS-04 and SS-09, Bangladesh."

With the guarantees already invoked against the consortium's minimum work obligations, OVL booked charges of ₹140 crore ($16.4 million) for SS-04 and ₹143 crore ($16.7 million) for SS-09 in its Q1 FY26 accounts.

In its FY24 annual report, ONGC had already recognised impairments of around ₹31 crore for the Bangladesh blocks, citing uncertainty over commercial discoveries.

The PSCs, signed in Dhaka on 17 February 2014, covered a total area of 14,295 sq km, with the exploration period running until 16 February 2025. Seismic surveys had been completed and one onshore well, Kanchan-1X in SS-04, was drilled. Plans to drill two offshore wells, one in each block, remained pending.

Bilateral tensions have spilled over into trade, with India in May 2025 restricting imports of several Bangladeshi products including garments, canned juices, food items, and cotton textiles. This followed Bangladesh's earlier ban on Indian yarn exports through land ports.




Highlights:

• Imports via rail at Benapole dropped sharply in 2024–25
• Decline linked to Indian trade restrictions and poor infrastructure
• Rail imports fell from 41,000 tonnes to 12,000 tonnes
• No cargo yard at Benapole hinders unloading and exports
• Key imports and exports banned, affecting multiple essential goods
• Authorities plan cargo yard, traders urge bilateral cooperation

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Imports via rail at Benapole land port, the country's largest land port, declined sharply in the 2024–25 fiscal year compared to the previous year.

In the 2023–24 fiscal year, the volume of goods imported by rail at Benapole was 41,000 tonnes, which dropped by 29,000 tonnes in 2024–25.

Traders attribute this decline to multiple trade restrictions imposed following the political developments after the previous government's ouster last year, as well as the poor state of railway infrastructure. However, railway authorities maintain that efforts are underway to improve the infrastructure.

Benapole port users say that due to convenient connectivity, import and export trade with neighbouring India takes place almost exclusively through Benapole port via both rail and road. However, since 5 August 2024, the Indian government has imposed a series of trade restrictions on Bangladesh. As a result, importers are facing significant difficulties in bringing in many essential goods.

Although there are directives to transport export goods by rail, this has yet to be implemented, as no cargo yard has been constructed at Benapole railway station. Due to these obstacles, only 12,000 tonnes of goods were imported from India via rail during the 2024–25 fiscal year, using just 1,296 wagons.

Traders have called upon both governments to cooperate in overcoming this crisis and improving the trade environment.

Sajedur Rahman, general secretary of the Benapole C&F Agents Staff Association, said, "The unloading of goods is being disrupted due to inadequate railway infrastructure. No yard has been constructed at the railway station to facilitate unloading."

He added that although the National Board of Revenue (NBR) granted permission for exporting goods by rail two years ago, implementation has yet to begin. "If export trade by rail is initiated, transportation costs will be significantly reduced."

Mohsin Milon, president of the Benapole Importers-Exporters Association, said that due to the current trade restrictions, imports from India, such as yarn, powdered milk, printed paper, paperboard, fish, and tobacco, are banned. Similarly, exports of jute and jute products, readymade garments, plastics, wooden furniture, and fruits have also been halted.

Md Saiduzzaman, station master of Benapole Railway Station, said trade has declined at Benapole due to the Indian government's restrictions. "However, the government plans to construct a cargo yard at Benapole Railway Station to expedite unloading. The matter of exporting by rail is currently under high-level discussions between the two countries."

Mamun Kabir Tarafdar, deputy director of Benapole Port, said once the railway shed is completed, the operational burden on Benapole port will decrease, allowing traders to transport goods more efficiently.


Bangladesh has urged India to take immediate steps to shut down political offices of the banned Bangladesh Awami League, reportedly established in New Delhi and Kolkata.

"Any form of political activity campaigning against the interests of Bangladesh by Bangladeshi nationals, particularly by the absconding leaders and activists of a banned political party, staying on Indian soil, legally or illegally, including the establishment of offices is an unambiguous affront against the people and State of Bangladesh," the foreign ministry said in a statement on Wednesday.

The ministry said the government's attention was drawn to reports that the outlawed party has set up offices in India.

This comes against the backdrop of growing anti-Bangladesh activities undertaken by the leadership of the Bangladesh Awami League, from being based on the Indian soil, it added.

"This development also risks upholding the good-neighborly relations with India driven by mutual trust and mutual respect, and lends serious implications for the political transformation underway in Bangladesh," the statement noted.

It further warned that the issue might also trigger public sentiment in Bangladesh, which may in turn impact the ongoing efforts of the two countries in further enhancing the relationship between the two closest neighbors.

"The Government of Bangladesh, therefore, would urge the Government of India to take immediate steps to ensure that no anti-Bangladesh activity is undertaken by any Bangladeshi national from being in the Indian soil, including not permitting or supporting any such activities in any manner and an immediate closure of the political office(s) of the banned Bangladesh Awami League on the Indian soil," the statement added.

The ministry said many senior leaders of the banned party, absconding in several criminal cases in Bangladesh on account of grievous crimes committed against humanity, remain in the Indian territory.

It recalled that on July 21 this year, under the cover of an NGO, some of the senior leaders of this banned party planned to hold a public outreach at the Delhi Press Club and eventually distributed booklets among the attending members of the press.

The statement also pointed to several reports in the Indian media confirming the party's increasing overtures while operating from Indian soil.