Border conflict: India summons Bangladesh envoy day after Dhaka summons its diplomat 

India summoned Bangladesh’s Deputy High Commissioner, Nural Islam, on January 13 one day after Dhaka had called upon the Indian High Commissioner to express its ‘deep concern’ and voice objections regarding the ongoing fencing activities at the border. 

The move came in response to allegations that India was attempting to erect barbed wire fencing at five specific locations along the Indo-Bangladesh border, which stretches for a total of 4,156 kilometers. 

A statement from the Bangladesh Foreign Ministry explained that Indian diplomat Pranay Verma was summoned to the office of Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin, where they discussed “recent activities” of India’s Border Security Force (BSF) along the shared border. Bangladesh warned New Delhi against engaging in any “provocative actions that could escalate tensions.” 

The statement detailed that on January 12, Bangladesh's Foreign Secretary, Ambassador Md Jashim Uddin, expressed the government’s deep concern to India’s High Commissioner, Pranay Verma, over the actions of the BSF along the Bangladesh-India border. 

Tensions along the border have risen after Bangladesh accused India of attempting to construct fences at five locations along the border, allegedly breaching a bilateral agreement. 

Bangladesh’s Home Affairs Adviser, Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, stated that the disputes have emerged in five areas, including Chapainawabganj, Naogaon, Lalmonirhat, and the Tin Bigha Corridor in northwestern Bangladesh. He further claimed that the conflicts were a result of imbalanced agreements signed by the previous government, which he criticized for signing unequal deals that led to disputes over fencing at 160 sites between 2010 and 2023. 

In response, Indian High Commissioner Pranay Verma commented that the BSF and Bangladesh’s Border Guard (BGB) had been in communication about the issue. He expressed hope that this ongoing dialogue would result in a cooperative approach to addressing border security concerns and combating crimes. 

Since the fall of Sheikh Hasina government in Bangladesh on August 5 last year, when the former prime minister fled the country following the anti-government protests, the BSF took the initiative to install fencing along the unfenced portion of India’s border with Bangladesh.