BSF fencing in Lalmonirhat fuels border tensions

Staff Reporter :

Despite recent high-level discussions between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), tensions along the Bangladesh-India border remain unresolved.

Under the interim government of Bangladesh, there has been a continued rise in border incidents, including fatalities and the unauthorised installation of barbed wire fencing by the BSF, further straining bilateral relations.

On Friday night, BSF resumed the construction of barbed wire fences and iron poles near the zero line at the Dahagram border in Lalmonirhat. The work began late at night, but BGB intervened, halting the construction, according to BGB and local sources.

Local residents reported that BSF had enlisted Indian civilians to install barbed wire fences and iron poles within three to five yards of the zero line in the Colonypara border area of Dahagram.

By Saturday morning, approximately 500 yards of fencing and poles had been installed. Upon receiving this information,
BGB personnel arrived, prompting BSF to cease the work.

However, BSF increased its presence on its side of the border.
BGB sources stated that a letter was sent to BSF requesting a flag meeting to address the incident. BSF responded positively, and the meeting took place on Saturday afternoon at the border.

The meeting was attended by a seven-member BGB delegation, led by Subedar Ayub Ali, company commander of the Panbari BGB post, while the BSF delegation was led by Jalam Singh, company commander of the Votbari BSF camp.

Subedar Lutfar Rahman, commander of the Panbari BGB camp, confirmed that they had strongly protested the unauthorised fencing and had intensified border patrols.

Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Md Selim Aldin, commander of the Rangpur 51 BGB Battalion, told journalists that BSF had informed them that Indian villagers, with the support of their district administration, had begun the fencing work.

He reminded them of previous high-level discussions in which both sides had agreed not to construct new structures along the border for the time being.

Border tensions were also evident on Friday along the Kosba-Putia border in Brahmanbaria, where a Bangladeshi youth, Al-Amin (32), was shot and killed by BSF. After 22 hours, BSF returned the body on Saturday following a flag meeting between BGB and BSF.

In response to the killing, BGB Director General Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddique warned that border killings should not be seen as a solution and that strict measures would be taken if such incidents continued.

“Regardless of border crossings or any other incidents, killings are not a final solution. If another such incident occurs, we would take a stricter stance. We are making efforts to prevent illegal crossings into India,” he said.