Security beefed up along Indo-Bangla border

Siliguri, Sept 26 : In the wake of recent militant attacks, security has been beefed up along the highly vulnerable Indo-Bangladesh border as additional paramilitary troopers and security personnel have been deployed to prevent trans-border infiltration and crime.

India shares a 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh. Of this West Bengal shares the longest border of approximately 2,216-km, most of which is porous, unfenced and prone to frequent skirmishes and infiltration.

North Bengal Frontier Border Security Force (BSF), covering the 1070- km in West Bengal, has deployed 18 battalions to combat cross border crimes, smuggling and the infiltration.

With the recent serial blasts in several major cities, increasing vigil along the porous India- Bangladesh border is seen as a vital step.

"A lot of area is unfenced because of either the boundaries of many villages extend to zero line or existence of disputed territories or because of enclaves and other adverse conditions. High vigilance is maintained in these areas because fencing isn't possible for now, for which talks are on at the higher-level and after that some decision would be taken. We undertake manual patrolling in these places keeping it in mind that no smuggling activities, trans-border crime or infiltration takes place," said Nand Kishor, I.G, North-Bengal Frontier, BSF.

Emphasizing that the focus is to prevent infiltration of militants from across the border, Kishor added, "Our troops are already vigilant. But now the troops have been asked to be more vigilant so that infiltration can be prevented."

Of the 4,096-km border between India and Bangladesh, 2,979 km is the land border and 1,116 km is over rivers. The border is of great strategic importance to the country's northeastern region. But various militant and insurgent groups to wage war against the states have used this long and porous border.

The normally friendly relations between India and Bangladesh have sometimes been marred by border skirmishes. The worst calashes that this border witnessed were in 2001 when 16 Indian soldiers were killed.

ANI