Shillong, March 6 (IANS): A high-level meeting of border security officers of India and Bangladesh began here Thursday to discuss several border-related issues, officials said.

Sudhir Kumar Srivastava, inspector general of Border Security Force (BSF), Guwahati Frontier, is leading the Indian delegation.

The meeting - to end March 9 - also has representatives of the Narcotics Control Bureau and the union home ministry.

The 20-member Bangladesh delegation is being led by Brig. Gen. Md. Habibul Karim, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) in-charge north-east region.

"The meeting is held bi-annually between the two border guarding forces for improving the general scenario at the border and to discuss issues related to the border, which may affect the tranquillity and peace," BSF spokesperson Mahendra Singh said.

The BGB is also likely to raise issues of firing on Bangladeshis by Indians, kidnapping of Bangladeshis, illegal trespassing by Indians into Bangladeshi territory and smuggling of narcotics from India to Bangladesh.

Of the 4,095-km-long border between India and Bangladesh, Tripura shares 856 km of the border, West Bengal shares 2,216 km, Meghalaya 443 km, Mizoram 318 km and Assam shares 262 km.

A large portion of the border remains unfenced, porous, mountainous and riverine.