The Border Security Force (BSF) is expected to revise its stance on the construction of “single-row fencing” along at least 90 territorial patches near the India-Bangladesh border, according to a report by Northeast News. This decision, which is likely to be communicated to the visiting Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB) team, is set to be discussed during talks between the BSF and BGB in Delhi today. The BGB team, led by Director General Major General Mohammad Ahsrafuzzaman Siddiqui, will return to Bangladesh on February 20.
The shift in strategy comes amid ongoing tensions along the 4,096-km-long India-Bangladesh border, particularly in West Bengal and Tripura. The decision to reconsider the single-row fencing, which was to be erected in close proximity to the ‘zero line,’ reflects the BSF’s attempt to reduce “misgivings” and “suspicions” between the two border forces, which have escalated in recent months.
Tensions between the BSF and BGB have been high due to construction activities by both sides near the border. A significant point of contention arose on January 31, when the BSF objected to the BGB’s attempt to construct a bunker in the Dahagram-Angapota area of Cooch Behar, located within a 150-yard stretch from the ‘zero line.’ This disagreement followed earlier disputes, such as the BSF’s fencing project in Kaliachak, Malda, which the BGB had also opposed.
The situation worsened on January 13, when the Ministry of External Affairs summoned Bangladesh’s then-acting High Commissioner, Nurul Islam, to address concerns over border security measures, including the issue of fencing. Tensions also flared earlier this month in the North Dinajpur segment, where the BSF halted what it described as “illegal construction” along the Kulik river embankment, again within the sensitive 150-yard stretch.
As the two border forces continue to clash over border construction activities, today’s meeting in Delhi aims to defuse tensions and prevent further escalation. The BGB is expected to press the BSF on the issue of constructing infrastructure close to the ‘zero line,’ and as part of a de-escalation strategy, the BSF is anticipated to propose halting all construction and fencing work in the 92 disputed areas along the border.
One of the core issues is the BSF’s plan to build single-row fencing as close as 15-25 yards from the ‘zero line’—a deviation from the standard double-row fencing, which is typically built 150 yards away. The BSF had begun constructing single-row fences in 2019-2020 with informal permission from the BGB during the tenure of the Sheikh Hasina regime. However, this approach has since become a point of contention between the two forces.
In addition to the fencing issue, the BGB is expected to bring up six other topics for discussion during the meeting, including measures to combat trans-border crimes and the establishment of treatment plants for better management of shared resources. The outcome of the talk will be critical in shaping future border security cooperation between India and Bangladesh.
(With inputs from Northeast News)