Fresh push-in bid

The push-in bids earlier on had put the bilateral relations under considerable strain, but subsequent developments, particularly Indian Foreign Minister Yashwant Sinha's visit to Bangladesh helped clear the air. The BSF and BDR chiefs held a meeting in Dhaka recently in the overall context of visits exchanged by ministers and secretaries of both countries. It appeared that the push-in bids were a thing of the past.

Even if a country starts thinking that some of its people were not bona fide citizens and decides that a certain country should take them back, there are well-laid our procedures for tackling such an issue. The procedures have not been followed in spite of Bangladesh's repeated assertion that all Bangladeshis who had crossed over to India in 1971 returned home after the Liberation War came to an end.

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Some of the people who were assembled together this time around on the other side of the border and pushed into Bangladesh are reported to have spoken in fractured Bangla. So, how could they be of Bangladeshi origin? That is why verification of identity is important.

The push-in attempt has been made at a time when New Delhi and Dhaka are looking forward to a real breakthrough in bilateral trade. And, organised border trade is one of the components of the broader scheme of expanding economic ties. But such a plan will not work smoothly if the border temperature rises.

Clearly, the latest push-in bid does not sit in with the current bilateral ambience. Unpleasant incidents like exchange of fire should be the farthest from the two countries' thoughts. We believe such things are entirely avoidable, provided the standard inter-state practices are followed. Such adherence is needed not only to honour international law and norms but also to put an end to the sufferings of the victims of push-in.