BSF asks its counterpart BGB to prevent illegal entry of Bangladeshis

Sector HQ BSF Shillong, Deputy Inspector General, Manoj Kumar Barnwal, and Md. Saiful Islam Chowdhury, Deputy Director General, Sector Commander BGB, Sylhet, Bangladesh during the BSF-BGB Sector Commander-level coordination meeting near Barsora land customs station in Bangladesh, on September 5, 2024.
| Photo Credit: ANI

The Border Security Force (BSF) said it has held more than 700 meetings with its counterpart Border Guard Bangladesh in the past one month. The BSF said that BGB officials had been instructed to prevent Bangladeshi nationals from illegally infiltrating into Indian territory.

“During the meetings, the BGB gave an assurance that it will take all steps for the safety of Indian citizens and people belonging to minority communities in Bangladesh,” the BSF said in a statement.

On August 9, the Union Home Ministry constituted a five-member committee headed by Ravi Gandhi, Additional Director General, Eastern Command, BSF, to communicate with Bangladesh authorities “to ensure the safety and security of Indian nationals, Hindus, and other minority communities living there”.

The BSF said that in pursuance of the Ministry’s directions, another committee meeting to monitor the current situation on the Indo-Bangladesh border was held on September 5.

“During the meeting, progress of various communications with BGB and status of safety of minority community in Bangladesh especially in bordering districts was discussed. Since August 12, the border guarding forces had 722 border meetings at various levels. Besides, both the border guarding forces carried out 1,367 Simultaneous Coordinating Patrolling (SCP) in vulnerable border patches in the area of responsibility of Eastern Command,” the BSF said.

Officials of both the border guarding forces are in constant contact and sharing information on various operational matters on real-time basis.

The BSF has also been holding village coordination meetings with the Indian villagers residing along the international border to make them aware about the prevalent situation in Bangladesh and to seek their cooperation in border management. “A total of 614 such meetings have been held in the last 15 days, where villagers have very warmly responded. Besides, during the period, multiple meetings have been held with sister agencies to strengthen security of the border,” the BSF said.

“The situation on the Indo-Bangladesh border generally remained peaceful and the BSF is committed to maintain the sanctity of International Boundary along with safety and security of populace residing near the border,” it said. BSF personnel have been going round the clock duties to guard the border in mutual cooperation with BGB in light of a coordinated border management plan (CBMP), it said.

Bangladesh Premier Sheikh Hasina had stepped down and escaped to India on August 5 as violence erupted in the neighbouring country in which members of the Hindu community, temples and shops were specifically targeted. An interim government led by Nobel laureate Mohammad Yunus was sworn in on August 8.

The BSF, deployed along the 4,096 kilometre Bangladesh border, is on a heightened vigil.