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another country, how their border force addresses it depends on their domestic laws. It would not be correct to call that a border killing.”

He made the remarks ahead of the upcoming director general-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India’s Border Security Force (BSF), which he described as a routine annual meeting held alternately in the two countries.

Salahuddin said the meeting will address border concerns from both sides and raise all relevant matters.

Asked about reports in Indian media of large numbers of alleged Bangladeshis gathering near the border in West Bengal, he said, “We’re aware of such reports. BGB is on alert at the border. We oppose any kind of illegal push-in or pushback.”

The minister added that if Bangladeshi citizens are found in another country, their identities should be verified against our national records. Once the government of that country sends a verified list to Bangladesh’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, repatriation can proceed in line with the law.

On the surge of battery‑run autorickshaws in the capital, the minister said they had appeared on the roads overnight and noted that previous efforts to tackle the issue were complicated by unemployment concerns.

“If we make thousands jobless overnight without rehabilitation, that will create another problem. We’re working on alternative arrangements outside the metropolitan area so that unemployment does not rise and traffic congestion is eased.”

Salahuddin said the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in traffic management would bring a “revolutionary change” to easing congestion in Dhaka.

He said AI-based traffic control has already been introduced, and the public has started benefiting from automated traffic management.

On Jungle Salimpur, the minister assured that residents on government khas land would not be evicted without rehabilitation. “However, we will not allow any terrorist hideouts there,” he warned.

“The government is also focusing on Mohammadpur to curb crime and drug prevalence, with plans underway to reform drug control laws to prevent criminals from securing easy bail.”

Responding to a question about the case filed over the deaths of six newborns at Ad-din Hospital, he said the absence of post-mortem examinations could create complications in the legal process.