DHAKA: A director general-level (DG) meeting between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and Border Security Force (BSF) of India began at BGB Headquarters in the city’s Pilkhana Friday.

A 23-member BGB team led by DG Major General Aziz Ahmed is holding the meeting with a 19-member BSF delegation led-by DG Devendra Kumar Pathak, which started at 11:00am.

Different bilateral issues, including stopping border killings, torturing and abduction of unarmed Bangladeshis by BSF, and smuggling of drugs and illegal goods will be discussed at the meeting.

BGB public relation officer Muhammad Mohsin Reza confirmed the issues of meeting to banglanews.

Mohsin said issues of abducting, detaining and shooting down Bangladeshi citizens are being discussed at the meeting.

The meeting agenda also includes issues to stop smuggling of arms and ammunition and illegal crossing of international border, he added.

Mohsin went on said that the issue of stopping drugs smuggling including phensedyl, alcohol, hemp, heroin, viagra tablets will also be discussed.

Issue of cooperation in construction of development infrastructure inside 150 yards of international border line and protection of the bank of trans-border rivers will be placed before the meeting.

High-ups of the home and the foreign affairs ministries from both Bangladesh and India also attended the meeting.

Top officials of narcotics department, senior members of Joint-River Commission (JRC), and Land Record and Survey Directorate of host country are also present at the meeting.

The meeting will end on December 30 through singing a joint declaration.

The BSF team arrived in the city on Thursday and will leave for India on December 30.

BDST: 1256 HRS, DEC 26, 2014