Kolkata: The Border Security Force, tasked with securing India’s borders with neighbouring Bangladesh, is fighting on multiple fronts to fulfil its mandate. Its task has been made more difficult since the fall of the India-friendly government of Sheikh Hasina last year and the installation of the interim Md. Yunus dispensation in Dhaka.
Adding to the challenges is the belligerent attitudes of the population on both sides of the border. And if that was not enough, a bellicose Mamata Banerjee, Chief Minister of West Bengal, is not losing any opportunity to take swipes at the BSF, keeping her political compulsions in mind, say observers.
Earlier this month, tensions flared along the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal after a verbal altercation broke out between the BSF personnel and the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) over ongoing fencing work.
The incident took place near Sukdebpur village in Malda district when BSF jawans were engaged in fencing operations on the Indian side of the border and Bangladesh personnel raised objections to it.
As the BGB objected to the fences, a section of villagers residing on the other side of the border in Shibganj of Chapai Nawabganj from Bangladesh raised slogans. Villagers from India also gathered near the border and raised slogans in support of the BSF and demanded that fencing be erected.
A video of the incident that went viral on social media showed a group of villagers chanting slogans like “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, “Vande Matram” and “Jai Shri Ram”.
Villagers alleged that the BGB and the Bangladeshi farmers were working in tandem to ensure that the border remains unfenced. They alleged that Bangladeshi farmers were crossing over to the Indian side and stealing their harvests.
“The work on fencing has continued smoothly. The fencing is inside the Indian side and we have made it clear to the BGB that the fencing work had been pre-approved by both nations,” a senior official of the BSF told The Sunday Guardian.
The issue of fencing of the border with Bangladesh has gained fresh momentum after the political turmoil in Bangladesh and fall of Sheikh Hasina regime. West Bengal shares a 2,216 km border with Bangladesh and hundreds of kilometres of the border remain unfenced making the border porous and susceptible to smuggling. The riverine nature of the border and issues of land acquisition for fencing poses a challenge for border fencing.
During a visit to the border areas of West Bengal, Director-General of BSF, Daljit Singh Chaudhary had said that the BSF is using technological solutions where the border is unfenced.
The riverine border is a major area of concern for the BSF since no fence can be erected.
“Out of the 913 kilometres of the South Bengal Frontier, only about 550 kilometres are land borders,” said DIG South Bengal Frontier, Nilotpal Kumar Pandey. “There are numerous challenging areas, including 350 kilometres of riverine borders. Furthermore, only 50 percent of the land border is fenced. Addressing these challenges requires a collective effort from all stakeholders; no single entity can be held solely responsible for trans-border crimes,” he added.
“The India-Bangladesh border in South Bengal, particularly along the Sonai River, presents significant challenges for the BSF. Smuggling, primarily of gold and drugs such as Phensedyl, has surged dramatically. The unfenced riverine border and hostile local populations hinder effective border control,” an official said.
“Despite the deployment of electronic surveillance systems, it often proves insufficient. By the time we reach the location alerted by technology, the smugglers have already blended with the local population. Low visibility conditions, particularly during winter, are exploited by smugglers. They also capitalize on the brief window during duty changes when new personnel are adjusting,” said another BSF official. Despite the handicaps, he informed that in 2024, 245 Indians and 1,102 Bangladeshis were apprehended as they tried to illegally cross the borders.
According to BSF officials, the India-Bangladesh border near BOP (Border Out Posts) Hakimpur and BOP Tarali 1 in North 24 Parganas, West Bengal, is a highly vulnerable stretch, posing significant challenges for the Border Security Force (BSF), due to the unfenced Sonai River, which forms the border, and facilitates cross-border infiltration and smuggling.
The river is less than 100 meters wide, even narrower in some parts, Bangladeshi intruders try to infiltrate into India with the help of ropes under the river water and is covered with water hyacinth in long stretches, making it almost impossible for security forces to patrol. And no finishing line has been built along the river as there are villages along the river where land has not been made available yet, due to which it has not been possible to build a finishing line, despite this, BSF personnel remain deployed on the border 24 hours a day to prevent all kinds of infiltration, smuggling, human trafficking.
To maintain order in this area, the BSF has posted 2,400 personnel for the 60-kilometer sector which is three times higher than the 800 personnel of BGB posted on the opposite side.
Additionally, local hostility towards the BSF complicates border security efforts. The villages of Bithari and Terali, with a population of 30,000, are situated along this sensitive stretch, making it even more challenging for the BSF to prevent illegal activities.
One of the villagers, Sunita Biswas, who resides on the banks of the Sonai River, said: “There is not much source of income here other than agriculture. Apart from safety concerns, BSF presence disturbs our freedom.”
Another villager on condition of anonymity said, “BSF deployment is a hindrance to our freedom.”
A senior BSF official said: “Trans-border crime, particularly gold and Phensedyl smuggling, is a major concern. Daily seizures, while indicative of successful interceptions, highlight the rampant attempts. Phensydril’s popularity as an alcohol substitute in Bangladesh fuels its smuggling from India. The Sonai River’s proximity has intertwined with the livelihood of local residents, many of whom engage in smuggling activities. The BSF faces immense challenges in patrolling the vast and unfenced riverbank, especially considering the densely populated Tarali border area with around 30,000 inhabitants.”
A senior BSF official said that while more than 160 kg of gold was seized in the South Bengal Frontier region in 2023, more than 176 kg of the precious metal was seized last year.
Notably, in most cases, arrests have been made along with seizure of the consignments, he added. “In 2023 alone, 493 Indian smugglers and 186 Bangladeshi nationals were arrested. In addition, 45 Indians and eight Bangladeshis acting as facilitators in illegal infiltration were apprehended that year,” the official said.
In 2024, the BSF official said, 339 Indians and 116 Bangladeshis were arrested for smuggling, while 43 Indian and three Bangladeshi touts were apprehended by the force in the South Bengal Frontier region for facilitating illegal immigration.
The smuggling methods are diverse, ranging from concealment in cycles to swallowing and hiding within shoes, an official said.
At the Jayantipur border outpost, several advanced surveillance equipment like intruder alarms and modern cameras are being used to monitor activities along the border. This area, known as Electronically Surveillance Vulnerable Passage (ESVP), is considered sensitive. The cameras installed at key locations give live footage to a centralised control room for real-time monitoring.
To maintain peace, the BSF uses non-lethal weapons like Pump Action Guns (PAGs) instead of lethal weapons, ensuring a balanced approach towards security.
Improvised alarm systems have been installed near the border, to detect and deter unauthorized border crossings. These include tripwires that activate loud alarms and trip layer flares that ignite upon disturbance or when any intruder accidentally touches the wire. These are connected to live feeds in the control room, enabling rapid response to any potential threats in the difficult terrain and riverine sections.
Another area that requires continuous vigil is near the Betna river in Petrapole, particularly during the rainy season when the area gets submerged. To address the situation, BSF has implemented a multi-layered approach that includes improvised fencing, constructed using bamboo and copper wire to restrict movement. Along with this, LED lights have been installed on bamboo sticks, and all of them are connected to the control room of the Border outpost.” Conditions become more challenging during the monsoons as the Betna river flowing along the border and other water bodies in this area overflow owing to heavy rain,” an official said.
Adding to these challenges is the belligerent attitude of Mamata Banerjee, the Chief Minister of West Bengal. Whenever Banerjee visits any district bordering Bangladesh, she takes swipes at the Border Security Force. Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly claimed that the Border Security Force (BSF) is “letting infiltrators enter West Bengal” from Bangladesh. She claimed that goons are being sent through bordering areas like Islampur, Sitai and Chopra, claiming that “this is a blueprint of the Union government to disturb West Bengal.” The Chief Minister made the comments at an administrative meeting with the district magistrate and other top state officials.
Banerjee also hit out at District Magistrates (DMs) in the state and made explosive remarks against the BSF and claimed: “They (BSF) torture women, but why haven’t you protested?” “Guarding the borders is not in our hands, it’s the BSF’s duty. The Trinamool Congress doesn’t guard the border…When people enter, where are they going?
Union Minister and state BJP chief Sukanta Majumdar flayed Banerjee over her accusations against the BSF and said she has reached the “ultimate level of delusion”.
“The failed Chief Minister of the state, Mamata Banerjee has reached the ultimate level of delusion. Despite not providing land to set up outposts for border surveillance, she used to blame the Border Security Force for illegal infiltration. But now, crossing all limits of accusations, she has started blaming her own administration’s officials,” he said in a post on X.