NEW DELHI -- The importance of joint border patrols on the Indo-Bangladeshi border cannot be overemphasized. Although India's northwestern border makes news due to problems in Kashmir or to cross-border terrorism of the most vicious kind, the eastern border that India shares with Bangladesh also has its problems.
To tackle them in an amicable way and to avoid bad blood between the security agencies of both countries, India time and again has suggested patrolling the border jointly, but unfortunately Bangladesh has skirted the issue on one pretext or another -- most recently during the just-concluded meetings of India's Border Security Force (BSF) and Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) in Dhaka.
India and Bangladesh share a 4,100-km-long highly porous border that nearly 6,000 Bangladeshis cross daily in search of work in India. Many come with the intention of permanently settling in the country. Border areas are also notorious for human trafficking in women and children, transborder terrorism, and smuggling of cattle and other goods.