In late 2021, Chairman Xi Jinping famously told President Joe Biden, "Aggression or hegemony is not in the blood of the Chinese nation. Since the founding of the people's republic, China has never started a single war or conflict, and has never taken one inch of land from other countries." However, such a claim is demonstrably false, as China recklessly pushes forward its boundaries on land and at sea. Including Bhutan and India, along their shared rugged, mountainous frontier, China is pushing forward wherever it can to forge a fait accompli on the ground. It is doing the same with illegal territorial claims in the South China Sea and attempting the same in Japan's Senkaku Islands. The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in the USA provided an assessment of new People's Liberation Army (PLA) infrastructure near the Indian border. It noted, "China is currently undertaking a major expansion of its infrastructure that is enhancing its ability to project military power along its western frontier" in both Tibet and Xinjiang. The CSIS report revealed China is constructing or upgrading dozens of airports and heliports, supplemented by new roads, rail and other infrastructure that enhance PLA logistics by permitting greater quantities of troops, weapons and supplies to be shuttled closer to the frontier. It added, "The pace of development in the region accelerated following standoffs and skirmishes between China and India along disputed portions of their border in 2017 and 2020." The 2017 reference is to the Doklam Plateau, where PLA engineers attempted to build a road. Even more serious was the outbreak of bloody violence at Galwan Valley in Eastern Ladakh in 2020. In the rugged and unforgiving high-altitude terrain of Tibet and Xinjiang, airports and heliports grow exponentially in importance. They are vital for moving personnel and equipment into the area, plus they serve as launch pads for reconnaissance assets and potentially strike missions. CSIS assessed: "The airpower buildup taking place on China's western frontier is sweeping in scale. Based on analysis of satellite imagery and other open-source material, China Power has identified 37 airports and heliports within Tibet and Xinjiang that have been newly constructed or upgraded since 2017 ... At least 22 of these are identifiable as military or dual-use facilities, or are expected to be once they are completed. The pace of this activity sped up significantly in 2020. That year alone, China began constructing seven new air facilities and initiated upgrades at seven others." Much of the construction is occurring in Tibet. All five existing dual-use airports have received new terminals, hangars, aprons and runways since 2017, while four new airports have been constructed less than 60km from the Indian border. For example, Lhuntse, Ngari-Burang and Shigatse Tingri Airports fill glaring gaps in the PLA's coverage. The dual-use Shigatse Peace Airport is the closest to Doklam, and it has received a large underground facility that has at least three entrances. CSIS added: "The PLA is also significantly scaling up its ability to conduct helicopter-based operations through the construction of at least five new heliports in Tibet, and the upgrading of two heliports. These heliports, which are operated by PLA Army aviation units, are dotted throughout Tibet, stretching from Rutog County in the west to Nyingchi City in the east. The addition of these heliports stands to significantly enhance PLA operations in the mountainous region, since helicopters are capable of manoeuvring in ways that aeroplanes and ground equipment cannot." As for Xinjiang, at least 15 airports have been upgraded since 2017, seven of which are military or dual-use. One example is Hotan, 240km from the Indian border. It has a new runway, additional tarmacked areas and an expanded air defense complex. Three new airports have started construction in Xinjiang since 2019, including Tashkorgan near the border junction with Pakistan, Afghanistan and Tajikistan. Nonetheless, CSIS explained: "Despite the military benefits that China's investments in the region have brought, the PLA faces several notable disadvantages compared to India. Much of China's side of the border is situated on the highest portions of the Tibetan Plateau, which is often described as the 'roof of the world', owing to its high elevation. Twenty of China's airports and heliports within Xinjiang and Tibet are located more than 3,000m above sea level..." Such altitudes present massive operational challenges for the PLA. Thin air affects the performance of aircraft taking off, which in turn requires longer runways and aircraft may not be able to carry full weapon, cargo or fuel loads. Cold and harsh weather adds its own challenges too. Official Chinese figures reveal that Tibet's highway system grew 51 per cent from 2015-20 to a total of 11,820km. In the same period, Xinjiang's highway network grew from 17,830km to 20,920km. As well as enhancing economic development, these roads assist the PLA in moving supplies. For instance, at least eight roads stretching from the G219 highway towards the Indian border are being constructed. The PLA would be able to use them to quickly reposition troops if another Galwan Valley confrontation occurred, for example. Completed in 2021 and reducing travel time by eight hours, another new road connects Nyingchi to Medog County in eastern Tibet. Nyingchi hosts the headquarters of the PLA's 52nd and 53rd Combined Light Infantry Brigades, showing how critical such new routes are in spreading the influence of the PLA. Xinjiang's rail network has grown quickly too, from 5,900km in 2015 to 7,800km in 2020. New lines help connect military bases and airports. However, Tibet's topography makes the creation of new railways very difficult, and the region boasts only 800km of tracks. Nevertheless, the first high-speed railway from Lhasa to Nyingchi opened in 2021 and, soon after it opened, it carried PLA personnel to an exercise area. China's "salami slicing" tactics, used so successfully in the South China Sea, are a reliable indication of how China is acting in other border areas too. One victim is Bhutan, with Beijing using such tactics against it for years. Afterwards, China attempts to formalize its theft of land by engaging in negotiations, but this type of bullying has negatively impacted bilateral negotiations. China lays claim to 269km2 of Bhutanese territory in Doklam in the west, 495km2 of the sacred Buddhist area of the Beyul Khenpajong in the north, and 650km2 of the Sakteng wildlife sanctuary in the east. China has trespassed the Bhutan border and rapidly constructed settlements such as Gyalaphug village. Sudha Ramachandran, writing for the Jamestown Foundation think-tank in the USA, noted: "Beijing appears to be robustly altering the status quo on the ground along its border with Bhutan. Recent satellite images reveal the staggering pace at which the PRC is building townships along a river valley in Beyul Khenpajong located in territory it claims in northcentral Bhutan." Currently, the settlement contains more than 200 structures, including roads, hydropower stations, communication facilities and military/security outposts built over the past decade. China has faced little pushback from Bhutan, exacerbated by the difficulty in accessing the area from the Bhutan side. A 1998 agreement was supposed to see both countries "refrain from taking any unilateral action to change the status quo of the boundary," but Chinese words are as cheap as the paper they are written on. The PLA is particularly enraptured with the tri- junction border at Doklam, as dominating this area would improve China's military position versus India. Ramachandran said, "The rationale behind Beijing's land grab is not entirely clear. Unlike Doklam, which is near India and where the PRC has also pressed ahead to alter the situation on the ground through construction of roads and bunkers, control over Beyul Khenpajong would have no strategic value in the event of an India-China war." Regardless, "Parallel to changing the status quo on the ground in its favor with its infrastructure-building activity, China is keen to enhance its economic and other presence in Bhutan. This would help the PRC to create a favorable environment for itself while increasing its leverage." When it comes to China's outrageous maritime territorial claims and bullying at sea, state media and government channels are spouting increasingly ridiculous messages. For example, the Global Times tabloid tweeted on 27 January that the China Coast Guard (CCG) had expelled "Japanese vessels near the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, which are an inherent part of China's territory, and CCG vessels carry out maritime rights protection and law enforcement activities in China's jurisdictional waters in accordance with the law. We urge the Japanese side to immediately cease all illegal activities in this area and ensure that similar incidents do not occur again." Such statements are figments of China's imagination. Beijing has also succeeded in antagonizing the Philippines, causing Manila to become more strenuous in its criticism of blatant Chinese interference. After Manila stated it would modernize military facilities in its northernmost province of Batanes, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned the Philippines to "tread carefully and don't play with fire". Subsequently, a Philippine Department of National Defense press statement issued on 10 February sternly warned China: "The Defense Department stresses that Batanes is Philippine territory, and China has no business warning the Philippines about what it does within its own territory. China's pronouncements and acts are the main reasons for its low credibility with the Filipino people. China should refrain from engaging in provocative rhetoric and activities if it truly wants to earn the widespread trust and respect that it is trying so hard to gain but has, so far, been unable to." Chinese encroachment has caused growing resentment from countries like the Philippines and Japan, and its 2020 gambit against India in Eastern Ladakh in mid- 2020 resulted in awakening Indian ire too. China has refused to return to the April 2020 status quo in Ladakh, despite numerous talks and disengagement of troops from friction points. The PLA carved out for itself important buffer zones, largely from Indian territory and causing Delhi to lose control of areas it formerly patrolled, which is precisely how Chinese salami slicing proceeds. Once the PLA has gained a foothold, it is impossible to dislodge it. Both China and India worked hard to strengthen their respective infrastructure after the Eastern Ladakh confrontation, and it is estimated both sides keep around 50,000 troops in Ladakh. In October 2021, China began constructing a new road and 300m- long bridge over the strategically important Pangong Lake so soldiers can move quickly to either side of the lake and areas adjacent to the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Construction of a bigger and wider bridge started in 2022, which would even allow armored vehicles to cross. In a conflict, bridges are vulnerable; however, in scenarios beneath that, bridges are an important logistical tool for the PLA. To the west of these bridges, the PLA established what is believed to be a permanent divisional-level headquarters and garrison, just 6km from the LAC. Settled permanently from mid-2020, the camp expanded throughout 2021. As well as revetments and a company's worth of armored vehicles, there are shelters presumably for artillery and antiaircraft systems. It functions as a node connecting troops at Pangong with the Western Theater Command headquarters. After work began in August 2021, a second radome was constructed on a mountain peak north of the lake, about 6km from the headquarters facility. Such construction efforts show that China has no intention of retreating; rather, it is deepening its foothold. A report published last year by the Indo-Pacific Security Program of the Center for a New American Security, concluded: "While the Chinese and Indian militaries have since pulled back forces from the most contentious standoff sites where the 2020 build-up occurred and established temporary buffer zones, both sides retain high numbers of troops forward deployed along the disputed frontier, and there are several flashpoints that could erupt into another border crisis at any time ... With both China and India enhancing infrastructure and introducing new and advanced weapons systems on their sides of the disputed border, combined with forward deployments and heightened lack of trust, the chances for continued standoffs that could erupt into local or even full-blown conflict remain high." The same is true everywhere that China is blatantly pushing forward with coercive or stealthy methods. Unless victims strenuously stick up for themselves, China is only emboldened to continue such illegal moves to enlarge its territory. In a sense, Xi was right - no, China "has never taken one inch of land from other countries" - for it has helped outside to hundreds of square miles instead.     Source: Web India

India has gained new strategic strength in recent years and its borders are more secure than ever, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day. He reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure national security amid the current global security scenario, asserting that a number of military reforms are being undertaken to modernise the armed forces and make them “young and battle ready” to deal with all future challenges. The Prime Minister also emphasised that the people of the country feel safe today as there has been a drastic decline in the number of terrorist attacks. When the country is peaceful and secure, new goals of development are achieved, he said. The Prime Minister also referred to the One Rank One Pension scheme, a long-pending demand of defence pensioners, which was implemented by the government as soon as it came to power. “OROP was a matter of respect for the soldiers of our country. We implemented it when we came to power. Rs 70,000 crore have reached the ex-servicemen and their families today,” he added. PM Modi, from the Red Fort today, extended the Independence Day wishes to the Armed Forces personnel at the borders, who ensure that the country is secured and its interests are safeguarded.   PM Modi today led the celebrations on Tuesday from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. Around 1,800 people from different walks of life and from all across the country were invited as special guests to the main celebratory event in the national capital. India completed 75 years of independence last year and entered the ‘Amrit Kaal’, a period of 25 years for making the country a developed nation by 2047. PM Modi’s today’s address from the ramparts was his 10th Independence Day speech. The speeches over the years have reflected the goals and progress made by the country in various spheres.

India has gained new strategic strength in recent years and its borders are more secure than ever, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his address to the nation from the ramparts of Red Fort on the 77th Independence Day. He reiterated the government’s resolve to ensure national security amid the current global security scenario, asserting that a number of military reforms are being undertaken to modernise the armed forces and make them “young and battle ready” to deal with all future challenges. The Prime Minister also emphasised that the people of the country feel safe today as there has been a drastic decline in the number of terrorist attacks. When the country is peaceful and secure, new goals of development are achieved, he said. The Prime Minister also referred to the One Rank One Pension scheme, a long-pending demand of defence pensioners, which was implemented by the government as soon as it came to power. “OROP was a matter of respect for the soldiers of our country. We implemented it when we came to power. Rs 70,000 crore have reached the ex-servicemen and their families today,” he added. PM Modi, from the Red Fort today, extended the Independence Day wishes to the Armed Forces personnel at the borders, who ensure that the country is secured and its interests are safeguarded.   PM Modi today led the celebrations on Tuesday from the ramparts of the iconic Red Fort. Around 1,800 people from different walks of life and from all across the country were invited as special guests to the main celebratory event in the national capital. India completed 75 years of independence last year and entered the ‘Amrit Kaal’, a period of 25 years for making the country a developed nation by 2047. PM Modi’s today’s address from the ramparts was his 10th Independence Day speech. The speeches over the years have reflected the goals and progress made by the country in various spheres.

PM Ulf Kristersson has announced plans to expand police authority at the country's borders amid an elevated risk of attack as the result of repeated anti-Islam provocations in the Scandinavian country. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on Tuesday announced that Sweden will introduce a new law, expected to be approved Thursday, that will give police expanded powers to conduct identity checks as well as vehicle and body searches at Sweden's borders. Electronic border surveillance is also to be expanded. The measure, said Kristersson, is intended to prevent, "people with very weak connections to Sweden" from entering the country, "to commit crimes or to act in conflict with Swedish security interests." Sweden and neighboring Denmark have come into global focus in the wake of numerous anti-Islam "protests" in which a small number of individuals have desecrated the Muslim holy Quran, inciting widespread rage across the Muslim world. Swedish security experts fear the continued provocations could trigger serious threats, "from individuals within the violent Islamist milieu." For that reason, said Kristersson, it is "extremely important" to stop those individuals perceived as threats from entering the country. Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer, who appeared alongside Kristersson at a Stockholm press conference, said, "Border controls are a measure that gives us the conditions to identify people coming into Sweden who could represent a threat to security." Stockholm seeks balance between free speech and respect for religious liberty  Both the Swedish and Danish governments have been at pains to strike a balance between protecting free speech and respecting the rights of religious communities. Kristersson has repeatedly called for de-escalation and the responsible and respectful exercise of free speech. Muslim countries have called for Quran burnings and similar desecrations carried out by provocateurs to be forbidden. Though Stockholm initially bristled at the idea, citing democratic liberalism, it has now begun to look into ways to curtail such protests as threats to its national security grow. Kristersson on Tuesday said sweeping changes to freedom of speech laws were, however, not in the cards. Still, he noted that, "Everything that is legal is not appropriate, it can be legal but still awful." On Monday, a day which saw yet another Quran desecration in Stockholm, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) convened a special online meeting to discuss the situation and advised all 57 member states to dial back relations with countries that allow such actions, urging them to recall ambassadors, for instance. It also urged action from the United Nations on the issue. The suggestion echoed moves taken by Iraq in late July, when Baghdad expelled Sweden's ambassador in the country and its embassy was attacked and set ablaze by angry Muslims. As an example of the type of threats potentially facing the country, a Turkish woman employed as a secretary at the Sweden's diplomatic mission in western Turkey's Izmir province was seriously injured Tuesday when a gun-wielding man attacked her outside the Swedish honorary consulate there.   Turkish authorities detained the man, whom the local governor's office described as "mentally disabled," but the woman remains hospitalized in critical condition. "Sweden's general consul will travel to Izmir tomorrow to be informed of the situation and express her condolences," said Sweden's Foreign Ministry, adding it would, "not comment on threat scenarios against the foreign mission or which security measures are being taken, as that could counter the purpose of the measures." Sweden in a 'complicated' and 'dangerous' situation At Tuesday's press conference, Prime Minister Kristersson said Sweden currently faces its most difficult security situation since World War II. Calling it "dangerous" and "complicated," he mused that, "people who want to harm Sweden" might be trying to exploit the situation to their advantage. He suggested one such actor might be Russia, which has voiced anger over Sweden's attempts to join the NATO military alliance in the wake of Moscow's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "It may be to prevent a Swedish NATO accession," said Kristersson. Indeed, Turkey, which only just recently relented its monthslong opposition to Swedish NATO membership, has now once again suggested it may block accession if Stockholm fails to crackdown on further Quran desecrations. In a developing situation in Turkey's western Izmir province, a Turkish woman was seriously wounded Tuesday when an armed man attacked the Swedish honorary consulate where she is employed.

New Zealand had started reopening its borders in February, and the final phase was completed on Monday. The education and tourism sector are expected to receive a boost. New Zealand fully opened its borders Monday, for the first time since March 2020 when they were closed due to the coronavirus pandemic. The final phase of its borders reopening began at midnight local time (1300 GMT) Sunday with the maritime border and all overseas visitors allowed to submit visa applications. The country had started reopening in February, beginning with its own citizens. It’s been a staged and cautious process on our part since February as we, alongside the rest of the world continue to manage a very live global pandemic, while keeping our people safe, said Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern during a speech at the China Business Summit in Auckland on Monday. Borders were reopened the previous night to visitors who need visas, and those on student visas are now also allowed to return to New Zealand. Cruise ships and foreign recreational yachts will also be allowed to dock at its ports. Most visitors are still required to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and must take two tests after arriving. However, the quarantine requirements for those testing negative have been removed. In the Pacific, the federated states of Micronesia and the Marshall Islands also announced they would be opening their borders as of Monday. Education, tourism to get boost The education sector is hopeful that the reopening for international students will provide a boost to the industry. International students used to bring in around 5 billion New Zealand dollars (roughly $3.15 billion or euro 3.1 billion) per year, being one of the country’s top export earners. But that figure plummeted in 2021. Tourism Minister Stuart Nash said the reopening for cruise ships would also boost local industries. Most cruise visits are during the warmer months of October to April, and summer is our bumper tourism season overall. This means it will be full steam ahead for the industry, he said.

(Constantino Xavier, Riya Sinha write: It can generate positive spillover effects, strengthen India’s economic ties with its neighbors.)   The Gati Shakti National Master Plan is another important step for India to upgrade national infrastructure and multimodal connectivity. According to the Economic Survey 2019-20, India will have to invest approximately $1.5 trillion on infrastructure to become a $5-trillion economy by 2024-25. However, while the Rs 100 lakh crore plan will have an important economic multiplier effect at home, it must also be leveraged to have an external impact by aligning it with India’s regional and global connectivity efforts. The Gati Shakti plan has three main components, all focused on domestic coordination. First, it seeks to increase information sharing with a new technology platform between various ministries at the Union and state levels. Second, it focuses on giving impetus to multi-modal transportation to reduce logistics’ costs and strengthen last-mile connectivity in India’s hinterland or border regions. The third component includes an analytical decision-making tool to disseminate project-related information and prioritize key infrastructure projects. This aims to ensure transparency and time-bound commitments to investors. One way to look at the Gati Shakti plan from a foreign policy angle is that it will automatically generate positive effects to deepen India’s economic ties with Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh, Myanmar and Sri Lanka, as well as with Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region. This has been the experience in recent years with India’s investment in roads, ports, inland waterways or new customs procedures generating positive externalities for these neighbors, who are keen to access the growing Indian consumer market. Nepal, for example, in 2020 reached record export levels due to a series of Indian connectivity initiatives, including electronic cargo tracking systems, new rail and road routes, modernization of border control systems, and the region’s first-ever bilateral petroleum pipeline. Any reduction in India’s domestic logistics costs brings immediate benefits to the northern neighbor, given that 98 per cent of Nepal’s total trade transits through India and about 65 per cent of Nepal’s trade is with India. By reducing the cost and time of doing trade through infrastructure modernization at home, India will continue to have a positive impact on the price of commodities and developmental targets in neighboring countries. In 2019, trade between Bhutan and Bangladesh was eased through a new multimodal road and waterway link via Assam. The new cargo ferry service with the Maldives, launched last year, has lowered the costs of trade for the island state. And under the South Asia Subregional Economic Cooperation Program, India’s investments in multimodal connectivity on the eastern coast is reconnecting India with the Bay of Bengal and Southeast Asia through integrated rail, port and shipping systems. However, India can’t just rely on the plan’s automatic spillover effects. Connectivity plans at home include important strategic decisions that will impact India’s external economic relations, not only in South Asia, but also with Southeast Asia and the Indian Ocean region. Whether it is the alignment of a cross-border railway, the location of a border check post, or the digital system chosen for customs and immigration processes, India’s connectivity investments at home will have limited effects unless they are coordinated with those of its neighbors and other regional partners. For instance, with its land neighbors, India’s border check posts, known as Integrated Check Posts (ICPs), only have mirror infrastructure with Nepal. Other key ICPs, such as the one at Petrapole with Bangladesh, face regular congestion due to lack of complementary infrastructure across the border. Similarly, countries in South Asia use different digital systems that have hindered real-time information sharing. While India recently joined the Transports Internationaux Routiers (TIR) convention, which facilitates cross-border customs procedures, none of its neighboring countries in the east has signed on to it. There are three avenues for India to ensure that the Gati Shakti Plan has maximum effect. First, India will have to deepen bilateral consultations with its neighbours to gauge their connectivity strategies and priorities. This is not just a technocratic exercise of coordination and harmonization. Given political and security sensitivities, India will require diplomatic skills to reassure its neighbors and adapt to their pace and political economy context. A second way is for India to work through regional institutions and platforms. SAARC’s ambitious regional integration plans of the 2000s are now defunct, so Delhi has shifted its geo-economic orientation eastwards. The Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) has got new momentum, but there is also progress on the Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal (BBIN) Initiative. Working through these multilateral platforms will help India develop a regional vision and standards for connectivity, reducing bilateral transaction costs. Finally, India can also boost the Gati Shakti plan’s external impact by cooperating more closely with global players who are keen to support its strategic imperative to give the Indo-Pacific an economic connectivity dimension. This includes the Asian Development Bank and the World Bank, but also Japan, the US, Australia, EU and ASEAN. They come with expertise and expectations about connectivity standards, whether it is on e-commerce, environmental and social impact assessments of infrastructure or technology platforms. These external connectivity dialogues will give the Gati Shakti plan a truly regional and global dimension and help India achieve its developmental targets at home. This column first appeared in the print edition on November 9, 2021 under the title ‘The connectivity effect’. Xavier is a fellow and Sinha a research associate at the Centre for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi. Source: The Indian Express

Bangladesh borders with India have been remained closed from April 26 for 14 days due to massive coronavirus infection in that country. Health Minister Zahid Maleque has said that the closure will not remain for 14 days rather the borders will remain closed until further notice is given. He said this on Monday while replying questions of the newsmen at the secretariat. Although coronavirus infection rate rose but it has come down at present. But the virus is doing devastation in India. In this situation the experts have cautioned that our condition will be devastated if the Indian variant enters Bangladesh. The minister said action will be taken against the shopkeepers and buyers who would not obey the health guidelines. Zahid Maleque also informed that five lakh doses corona vaccine from China will be available in the country by May 10. He said, long route buses will not ply but buses within the districts will ply from May 6. Besides, punishment will be awarded for the shop keepers and buyers who would not maintain the guidelines. Earlier, Cabinet Secretary Khandker Anwarul Islam said that to prevent coronavirus infection the ongoing restrictions will be effective till May 16. If health guidelines are not followed in the markets and shopping malls then those will be shut or fined. AH     

Four Bangladeshis have been killed reportedly by members of Indian Border Security Force (BSF) in Naogaon and Jashore districts. In Naogaon, three Bangladeshis were shot dead reportedly by BSF along Nitapur border in Porsha upazila early Thursday. The victims were identified as cattle traders Sandwip Kumar, 28, Kamal Hossain, 32, and Mufizuddin, 38. Nayebsuvedar Mukhlesur Rahman, camp commander of BGB-16 Hapania camp, said a group of cattle traders, numbering 14-15, entered India to bring cattle on Wednesday night. BSF members from Kyadaripara camp opened fire on them around 6am while they were returning with cattle, leaving the trio dead on the spot. The body of Mufizuddin was seen lying at the zero point of Bangladesh-India border while that of the rest two bodies inside Indian border, said the BGB official. Major Ahsan Habib, deputy-commanding officer of BGB-16, said BGB strongly protested the incident and sent a letter calling for a flag meeting. In Jashore, Hanef Ali Khoka, son of Shahjahan Ali and also a shepherd, was tortured to death reportedly by BSF on Agrabhulat border in Sharsha upazila on Wednesday. Victim’s uncle Shahidul Islam said Hanef was detained by BSF members of Bonyabaria camp when he went to Indian border to bring cattle. Later, BSF members tortured him to death. Though the incident took place on Wednesday noon, his family came to know about the incident around 12pm on Thursday, he said. Nayeb Suvedar Mozammel Hossain, camp in-charge of BGB Agrabhulat camp, said victim’s father Shahjahan Ali came to the camp. Then he sent a letter to BSF seeking a flag meeting. Earlier on Wednesday, two Bangladeshis were shot dead by members of BSF along Amjhol border in Hatibandha upazila in Lalmonirhat district. Source: UNB AH