How India is using tech-based surveillance in 140 spots to check Rohingya influx

India has adopted tech-based surveillance to check the influx of Rohingyas along the Indo-Bangladesh border areas.

New Delhi, Oct 7: Since the time Rohingyas, facing violence and persecution in their homeland Myanmar, started fleeing to Bangladesh, India is on a high alert to avoid any infiltration of the refugees to its soil through the porous Indo-Myanmar and Indo-Bangladesh border areas.

Currently, India has increased its surveillance along the border areas from which it fears that infiltration of the refugees could take place. The security agencies say that touts are on a prowl to help Rohingyas enter India.

Thus, India does not want to take any risk and has deployed tech-based surveillance in 140 vulnerable spots to check Rohingya influx.

India has identified 140 vulnerable locations, deployed more security personnel and surveillance gadgets, and launched a "campaign" against organised criminal gangs that help Rohingyas sneak across the Indo-Bangladesh border, the Border Security Force (BSF) informed on Friday.

The BSF concluded its bi-annual four-day talks with their counterparts, Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), and chalked out plans to keep a vigil on the "spillover effect of the Rohingyas crossing over to India."

BSF Director General (DG) KK Sharma and the visiting BGB chief, Major General Abul Hossain, addressed the media at the end of their talks that began after the Bangaldeshi delegation arrived in New Delhi on October 2.

The BGB DG said they have assured the BSF that the policy of the Bangladeshi government is very clear and "does not allow" their soil to be used for any kind of terrorist activity, neither in their country nor against its neighbour India.

Hossain said his country was also planning to have a fenced border with Myanmar.
Sharma said both the sides discussed the issue of Rohingyas.

"We are aware that the issue is very serious as a large number of Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh. You are very right in apprehending that the spillover effect of the Rohingyas crossing over to India is also very genuine. Both of us (BSF-BGB) have taken steps.

"The BGB has ensured that their (Rohingyas) movement is being regulated and they have mounted some nakas and check posts on various routes to ensure that they do not cross over to our side," the BSF DG said.

He added that "140 vulnerable border posts" along the 4,096-km long India-Bangla border -- that can be exploited for illegal crossing over of Rohingyas -- have been identified by the BSF.

These posts, Sharma said, are being "strengthened by us by deploying more manpower and by technological inputs and gadgets."

The surveillance equipment, the BSF chief said, have been "diverted" from other BSF posts and deployed all along the eastern frontier.

"We are also in touch with our sister agencies, the intelligence agencies, to identify and take action against the touts. Because, these people (Rohingyas) cannot come on their own.

There are organised criminals on both the sides who assist in their crossing over to India. So, we are mounting the campaign against the touts," DG Sharma said.
He added that the border guarding force has "sensitised" the local population to inform them about people trespassing across the border.

The BSF DG said the force is constantly in touch with the BGB on a daily basis. "...our commanders on the border can speak to each other quickly and share intelligence on any movement of Rohingyas."

The BGB DG said his country has already begun the mandatory registration of all Rohingyas entering Bangladesh.

"This is a problem in Myanmar and this is not our problem. Five lakh people have already come to Bangladesh. But, this is a problem for our country also...they (Rohingyas) cannot spread all over the country.

"Our government has taken a decision and the Rohingyas have been put in the Cox Bazar district," he said, adding they have identified the exit and entry points (of Rohingyas) which are being guarded properly.

"We have started the registration of these people...we have declared that anybody without registration will not be given any facilities. We have also informed our people in the country to inform about any such person to law enforcement agencies," Hossain said.

He added that Myanmar has told Bangladesh that they will "soon form a joint working committee to find out Rohingyas and take them back."

Meanwhile, the Narendra Modi government remains firm regarding its decision to deport around 40,000 Rohingyas settled in various parts of the country fearing "security threats" from the "illegal immigrants."

OneIndia News