Indian Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday shared New Delhi’s concerns with Dhaka over illegal immigration from Bangladesh to India’s northeast.
The issue was discussed with Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal at the seventh home minister-level bilateral meeting in New Delhi, reports Indian media.
Shah raised India's concern regarding the illicit movement of people across the border, with a view to finding solutions to this problem, especially in Northeast India, read an official statement.
The development has come ahead of the publication of the final list of the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam on August 31.
Four million names were excluded in the draft NRC published last year, which led to a major political controversy.
India shares a 4,096-km-long border with its neighbour Bangladesh.
The statement said that both home ministers reaffirmed the need to further curb the menace of trans-border crimes, including smuggling of fake currency, drugs, and human trafficking. Therefore they agreed to the need for greater cooperation to achieve the countries’ aim of a secure border.
It said both sides also reviewed pending issues concerning security and infrastructure at the borders, and agreed to adopt measures to resolve matters swiftly.
Shah also assured Kamal of India's continuing support for safe and speedy repatriation of the Rohingyas to Myanmar.
Kamal, on behalf of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh, thanked the Indian government for extending humanitarian support in four tranches since September 2017.
Bangladesh currently hosts over 1.1 million Rohingyas at different refugee camps in Cox’s Bazar, most of whom entered the country since August 25, 2017.
The leaders also looked forward to enhancing cooperation in simplifying people-to-people contact and travel for business, health and tourism, including through promoting connectivity, said the statement.
During the meeting, the ministers expressed satisfaction that both countries were working closer than ever before in every sector, including security and border management.
They reiterated their commitment to keep the borders friendly, and in this regard appreciated the close cooperation between their border guarding forces, read the statement.
Shah appreciated Bangladesh's policy of not allowing the use of its territory by extremists and insurgents for perpetrating violence in other countries, including India.
Kamal also invited his Indian counterpart to visit Bangladesh at a mutually convenient time.