BGB’s Objections Create Major Challenge in Fencing Porous Indo-Bangla Border: Centre

Amid a strained relationship with Bangladesh, the Union Home Ministry’s statement charging Border Guard Bangladesh for creating problems in fencing work assumes significance.

New Delhi:As India has been witnessing astrained relationship with Bangladesh,the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA)on Tuesday said that the objections raised by the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) have posed a major challenge in fencing the porous border.

Replying to a query in the Lok Sabha, Minister of State for Home Affairs, Nityanand Rai said, “The challenges faced in completing the feasible stretches of fencing projects relate to land acquisition, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) objections, limited working season and landslide/marshy land in the state.”

Rai was responding to a question raised by Congress MP Saleng A Sangma on the current status of the international border fencing along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, including the areas covered, the progress of ongoing work and any challenges faced in completing the fencing project.

The minister said that the total length of the Indo-Bangladesh Border in Meghalaya is 443 km, out of which 367.155 km length of the International border has been covered by a fence. Fence work is in progress at 19.759 km, he said.

“The border security of non-feasible stretch is ensured by using technological equipment such as Hand Held Thermal Imager (HHTI), Night vision Device (NVD), Twin Telescope, upgradation of intelligence setup and enhanced coordination with the State Governments/concerned intelligence agencies and by employing additional manpower,” he said.

Rai said that issues relating to border security management and cooperation to mitigate cross-border issues are discussed with Bangladesh through bilateral institutional mechanisms such as Director General-Level Talks between the Border Security Force and Border Guard Bangladesh and the Joint Working Group on Security and Border Infrastructure.

The minister said that BGB is constantly engaged in dialogue through directives of the Coordinated Border Management Plan (CBMP) which includes simultaneous coordinated day and night patrolling, pillar checking, flag meetings, reporting of border violations and sharing of information which aims to synergize efforts between both the forces to control cross-border crimes and maintain peace.

“Government has been persistent in its efforts to remove obstacles and ensure timely completion. In the current financial year (FY 2024-25), the budget allocation for Indo-Bangladesh fence works is Rs 299.58 crore out of which, Rs 19.54 crore has been released to the Executive Agencies for Meghalaya,” Rai said.

India and Bangladesh share a 4,096-kilometre-long international border including 262 km in Assam, 856 km in Tripura, 318 km in Mizoram, 443 km in Meghalaya and 2,217 km in West Bengal.

Forces inimical to India’s security always use the porous border to pump drugs, psychotropic substances, arms and ammunition into India.