New Delhi [India], October 18 (ANI): Chief of Army Staff, General Upendra Dwivedi held talks with Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman of Bangladesh Army on UNTCC sidelines.

The two agreed to strengthen defence cooperation.

In a post on X, the Indian Army said, 'On the sidelines of UNTCC 2025, General Upendra Dwivedi, COAS, held a constructive and productive discussion with Lieutenant General Md Mainur Rahman, Bangladesh Army. The leaders reaffirmed their commitment in strengthening defence cooperation, training and coordination in UN peacekeeping.'

https://x.com/adgpi/status/1979162765957959998

Earlier on August 28, BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chowdhury said in Dhaka that appropriate legal action is being taken against illegal foreigners staying in India, including Bangladeshi nationals.

Replying to questions at a joint press conference after talks with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), Chowdhury said, 'They are being dealt with as per the law of the land. All BD nationals who were found illegally entering India without any criminal intent are handed over to the BGB respectfully. During this period, we have handed over around 550 Bangladeshi nationals to the BGB. In cases when BGB could not verify the credentials, they were handed over to Indian agencies for deportation through an established mechanism.'

He added that more than 2,400 cases of verification of Bangladeshi nationals are pending with the Bangladesh High Commission in Delhi. 'Some of them have been pending for more than 5 years. We have also requested BGB to take up the case with the relevant authorities to expedite the confirmation, so that they can be reunited with their families. If there are any instances of border violation by Indian nationals or Bangladeshi nationals, a well-established mechanism exists between both countries for deporting or handing over the nationals to each other,' he added.

On deportations, the BSF DG said, 'As I explained before, there is a well-established mechanism that exists between both countries for deporting or handing over nationals to each other. If we are contacted and it is found that the deported persons are Indian nationals, we will immediately accept them'. (ANI)