The day-long meeting began at 10:00 am at the rest house of 9 Rifles Battalion at Mirpur in the district.

Sector Commander of 9 Rifles Battalion Lt. Col. NM Noor Islam pscg led the 13-member Bangladesh team while Sector Commander of Krishnangar BSF C Marandi led the 20- member Indian team.

The meeting was also attended by high official of both the border guards. They were Col. Anand Shing and Dr. Nalit Kumar of India and Lt. Col. Sayeed Alam, Maj. Ashraful Hossain and Maj. Akhtaruzzaman of BDR.

Issues including killing of Bangladeshi nationals by BSF, alleged smuggling of explosives and firearms from India, sheltering miscreants and other border crimes dominated the talks, meeting sources said.

BDR raised the issues of killing of Bangladeshis and smuggling of explosives and firearms from India and sought BSF help to stop those. Indian officials agreed in principle to stop firing at Bangladeshis and take effective steps to stop smuggling of explosives and arms, the sources said.

BDR emphasised stopping killing of Bangladeshis by BSF.

At times, innocent Bangladeshis working in their fields near the border and cattle traders returning home at night are also killed, BDR told the meeting.

The two sides also discussed smuggling of contrabands including drugs and liquor, reinstallation of demolished or stolen border pillars, survey of the disputed lands and raising barbed wire fence by BSF.

At the meeting, BSF alleged illegal entry of Bangladeshis into India during odd hours and urged BDR to check it.

The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere and BSF officials showed a positive attitude towards resolving the issues, said BDR Sector Commander Lt. Col. NM Noor Islam pscg.

"We urged our counterparts to show tolerance on different issues including civilian issues," he said.

According to sources, BSF killed at least 26 Bangladeshis and injured over 150 on the southwestern border in last six months from January 1.

BSF also abducted at least 60 Bangladeshis during the period.

Most of the Bangladeshi victims were cattle traders, killed by BSF when while returning home after buying cattle from India.

At least 62 Bangladeshis were killed last year on the southwestern border.

Smuggling was another cause for BSF to open fire, the sources said.

BDR sources said killings by BSF on the border increased after the August 17 countrywide bomb blasts in 2005.

BSF was put on 'high alert' and ordered to take 'any measures to stop sneaking of Islamist militants into India'.

Only eight Bangladeshis were killed by BSF between January 1 and August 17, 2005, the sources said.