BDR sources said the meeting will discuss different issues including killing of Bangladeshis by BSF, cross-border movement of criminals, drug smuggling, reinstallation of demolished or stolen border pillars, survey of disputed lands and raising barbed wires fence by BSF.

The meeting will be held at the office of Sector Commander of 9 Rifles Battalion in Kushtia.

Sources said at least 26 Bangladeshis were killed and over 150 injured by BSF on the southwestern border in six months from January 1 to June 30. The Indian border guards also allegedly abducted at least 60 Bangladeshis during the period, the sources said.

Of the abducted Bangladeshis, about 35 are still in different jails in India and the rest were released after flag meetings between BDR and BSF.

At least 40 incidents of exchange of fire between the two border guards took place on the southwestern border during the period.

According to information available from BDR and police and newspaper reports, seven Bangladeshis were killed in January, one in February, five in March, three in April, four in May and six in June on the southwestern border. Nine of the victims were cattle traders.

Satkhira border was the most troubled spot where at least 10 Bangladeshis were killed by BSF. Six of them were cattle traders.

In April, BSF troops entered Bangladesh territory and abducted a woman. Her body was later found on the no man's land.

The sources said BSF killed 62 Bangladeshi's during January-December last year on the border.

A two-day Indo-Bangladesh border conference was held in Kushtia on June 4-5 last year.

"We always lodge strong protest at flag meetings and our counterparts also agreed not to open fire, but they often violate," Maj. Ashraf Hossain of 32 Rifles Battalion told this correspondent yesterday.

Another high official of BDR seeking anonymity said killing by BSF on border increased after the August 17 countrywide serial bomb blasts in 2005.

BSF was put on 'high alert' and ordered to take 'any measure to stop sneaking of Islamist militants into India'. Smuggling is another cause for killings, he said.

At least 104 Bangladeshis were killed on southwestern border since August 17, 2005. Of them, 16 were killed from August 17 to December 2005, 62 in 2006 and 26 in last six months.

On the contrary, 8 were killed between January 1 to August 17, 2005.

"They (BSF) do not allow any adult Bangladeshi to come near the border even during day time," a BDR personnel told this correspondent during a visit to border areas in Kushtia.

BSF erected barbed wire fence along about 40 kilometers of the border in the region amid BDR protest, BDR sources said. BSF also use searchlight at night to check cross-border movement.