angeldemon_007
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DHAKA: India has ordered its border guards BSF not to fire at people seeking to cross over along the porous Indo-Bangla frontier, except for self-defence, Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram said here on Saturday.
"Let me make it very clear, we have issued strict instructions to ourBorder Security Force (BSF) that in no circumstances should they fire upon anyone trying to cross either fromBangladesh to India or (from) India to Bangladesh. The message has gone down to the last jawan," he told a joint press conference with his Bangladesh counterpart Sahara Khatun after talks at the secretariat.
"The only circumstances we have set the firing may be justified when gangs actually attack BSF jawans or officials (as) everybody has right to protect himself or self-defence," he underlined after their nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting, which came ahead of the September 6 and 7 visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.
Chidambaram, who is on a 24-hour visit here, said the number of frontier killings came down "dramatically" after the instruction was issued and "there were seven cases this year....seven is bad but you must look at the number last year or year before which were 33, 50 or even more".
The Bangladeshi minister said they had discussed "with extra importance on ways to stop killing of people on the frontiers during our meeting" as the issue remained a major concern.
"We have protested such incidents every time it happens (but) you have heard him...I don't think I have anything to say on the matter" at this point, Khatun said.
India and Bangladesh today inked a comprehensive border management agreement to ensure cross-frontier security through measures like joint vigils to deal with human trafficking and smuggling of drugs and weapons.
BSF directed to fire only in self defence: Chidambaram - The Economic Times
"Let me make it very clear, we have issued strict instructions to ourBorder Security Force (BSF) that in no circumstances should they fire upon anyone trying to cross either fromBangladesh to India or (from) India to Bangladesh. The message has gone down to the last jawan," he told a joint press conference with his Bangladesh counterpart Sahara Khatun after talks at the secretariat.
"The only circumstances we have set the firing may be justified when gangs actually attack BSF jawans or officials (as) everybody has right to protect himself or self-defence," he underlined after their nearly two-and-a-half-hour meeting, which came ahead of the September 6 and 7 visit of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh here.
Chidambaram, who is on a 24-hour visit here, said the number of frontier killings came down "dramatically" after the instruction was issued and "there were seven cases this year....seven is bad but you must look at the number last year or year before which were 33, 50 or even more".
The Bangladeshi minister said they had discussed "with extra importance on ways to stop killing of people on the frontiers during our meeting" as the issue remained a major concern.
"We have protested such incidents every time it happens (but) you have heard him...I don't think I have anything to say on the matter" at this point, Khatun said.
India and Bangladesh today inked a comprehensive border management agreement to ensure cross-frontier security through measures like joint vigils to deal with human trafficking and smuggling of drugs and weapons.
BSF directed to fire only in self defence: Chidambaram - The Economic Times
