Top officials from India and Bangladesh are to meet in the Indian capital to discuss security along their volatile border, an official said Monday. The meeting begins Tuesday and would be led by foreign secretaries of both countries, said Indian foreign ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna.
"The foreign secretaries are likely to discuss issues relating to security, border management, cross-border movement and economic relations," the spokesman said.
India and Bangladesh have a 4,000-kilometre (2,500-mile) border, only 20 percent of which is fenced.
Indian intelligence officials say top leaders of rebels groups in its north-east are holed up in Bangladesh. They also accuse their neighbour of pushing illegal Bangladeshi immigrants into India.
India estimates there are three million illegal Bangladeshis in India and a drive is being mounted to push them back across the border.
Dhaka denies the charges.
The border tensions have often flared into armed clashes between guards on both sides. In a skirmish a few months ago, a senior Indian official was killed allegedly by Bangladeshi guards.

Copyright Agence France-Presse, 2005

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