Bangladesh former minister says killings on border are unacceptable

Former Bangaldesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni has stated that deaths on the borders and use of lethal weapons by border guards are unacceptable.

She added that the killings at the border are a very serious concern for Bangladesh and the country had taken this up with the Indian authorities.

"We definitely welcome when the government in India instructs that the border guards should not use any lethal weapons but any death is unacceptable," she said.

Moni added that the border killings fortunately have gone down but we want to see the number go down to zero.

"The killings at the border are a very serious concern for us and we have taken this up with the Indian authorities very strongly and as a result I think very strong position taken by Bangladesh government under the leadership of Sheikh Hasina. The border killings fortunately have gone down, there is a downward trend, it has come down but we want to see the number go down to zero," said Moni.

The former Bangladesh foreign minister said that the Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina believes in zero tolerance against insurgency and use of her nation's land by the militants.

Tripura and other North Eastern states can play a vital role in improving relations between India and Bangladesh, former Bangladesh Foreign Minister Dipu Moni said.

Moni, who is now the chairman of Bangladesh parliament's standing committee on Foreign Affairs, said that basin management can help Indo-Bangla water sharing.

"With the recent visit of the new foreign minister we expect that unresolved issues to be resolved very soon," said Moni.

She expressed that Rohinga migrant issue of Myanmar is an internal issue of that nation and expressed that with democracy returning back there the problem of Myanmar refugee in Bangladesh show be solved as already Bangladesh is overpopulated.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on June 26 held talks with Bangladesh counterpart Abul Hassan Mahmood Ali and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina in Dhaka, to bolster strategic partnership.

On her first trip abroad as the foreign minister, Swaraj met Hasina to discuss key bilateral issues, after meeting Ali.

The two foreign ministers discussed the Teesta water sharing and Land Boundary Agreement, and Swaraj also raised the issue of illegal immigration. The two leaders also discussed economic ties and cooperation.