Kurigram, Mar 03 (UNB) -Indian BSF on Saturday assured BGB that the 12 Bangladeshis held by them from different villages of Kurigram and Lalmonirhat districts in the last 45 days will be returned shortly.

The assurance came at a flag meeting between the border guards of the two neighboring countries held at Bagabhandar frontier village in Bhurungamari of Kurigram.

Rangpur Sector Commander Col Niamul Islam Fatemi led the Bangladesh side while the Indian side was led by Deputy Inspector General D S Sandhya of BSF Kuchbihar Sector at the flag meeting, held from 12 noon to 4 pm at Bagabhandar School ground.

Opening fire on Bangladeshi villagers by BSF without provocation, arrest, kidnapping and other frontier-related problems came up at the meeting for discussion.

During the meeting, BSF assured that 12 Bangladeshis whom they detained from different border points in Kurigram and Lalmonirhat in the last one and half months will be handed over to BGB soon.

The meeting sources said both BSF and BGB underscored the need for substantially reducing firing, kidnapping of Bangladeshis, human trafficking, particularly women and children, and smuggling, especially drugs.

The 12 Bangladeshi nationals are now languishing in different jails of Pashchim Banga state of India.