This was decided at the high-level meeting between Bangladesh Rifles ( BDR) and BSF at Agartala on its second day yesterday, BDR sources said.

Both the sides also agreed to combat smuggling and drug trafficking through the border.

The BDR delegation at the meeting handed over a list of criminals from Bangladesh staying in India and the BSF team gave the BDR a list of Indian criminals 'hiding' in Bangladesh.

Both the sides sought cooperation from each other in handing over the criminals to their respective country, the source added.

The BSF told the meeting their fencing work has been underway since 1989 and the fence is mostly located at or beyond 150 yards from the zero line. But the fence has to be built within 150 yards in certain areas due mainly to the existence of villages, or because of rough terrains, it said.

The BDR team said if they (BSF) face such problems, they should bring that to the notice of the Indian government so that the two governments could resolve the problems through discussion.

The India side came up with their issues yesterday while the BDR on Tuesday raised its issues at the meeting being held at Salbagan Headquarters of the BSF.

The two sides might reach formal agreements on a number of issues at the concluding session of the meeting today, sources said.

Deputy Director General of BDR Brigadier General SM Golam Rabbani leads the eight-member BDR delegation while IG of BSF for Assam, Meghalaya, Monipur and Nagaland Shri SC Srivastava leads the 14-member Indian team.

Earlier on Monday, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka requested the government to instruct BDR not to resist BSF from constructing barbed wire fences within 150 yards of the no man's land.

The request was made in a letter sent to the foreign ministry.

BDNEWS reports: Tension eased in border areas yesterday as the Agartala meeting between BDR and BSF progressed.

A BDR-BSF battalion commander-level meeting will be held at Dargapara of Ramgarh in Khagrachhari at 11 am today.

Meanwhile, a ban on vehicular movement on Ramgarh-Ayodhya road is in force.

A sector commander-level meeting between BDR and BSF was held yesterday at Sona Masjid border in Chapainawabganj.

A BDR-BSF sector-commander level flag meeting was held yesterday at Bilondopur of Uttar Dinajpur in India.

BDR sources said the Indian side agreed to allow Bangladesh to build an embankment on the Nagar river on certain conditions.