Can 108-km fence curb border crimes?

Bangladesh is planning to build a 108-kilometre barbed-wire fence along selected high-risk sections of its border with Myanmar to prevent illegal crossings, drug smuggling and human trafficking.

The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) says the proposed fencing will strengthen border security and help disrupt organised criminal networks operating across the frontier. However, security experts caution that a fence alone may not be enough to tackle cross-border crimes unless it is supported by intelligence cooperation, stronger enforcement and action against trafficking syndicates on both sides.
Why is Bangladesh building the fence?

Bangladesh shares a 271-kilometre border with Myanmar, much of which runs through the Cox’s Bazar and Bandarban regions. The BGB has identified around 108 kilometres of vulnerable areas where barbed-wire fencing is planned.

The exact locations of the fencing have not yet been disclosed.
Bangladesh Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander Sabbir Alam Sujon said the decision comes amid growing concerns over illegal border movement, drug trafficking and human trafficking.

According to the BGB, the weakening of administrative control in Myanmar’s border areas has increased security challenges. The force says the normal system of border management on the Myanmar side is no longer functioning effectively in many areas, creating opportunities for criminal groups to operate.
The security situation along the Myanmar border has become more complex following the decline of Myanmar government authority in several border regions.

BGB Public Relations Officer Mohammad Shariful Islam told Nikkei Asia that the usual government mechanism for managing parts of the Myanmar frontier is no longer working as effectively as before.
The lack of effective control on the other side of the border has raised concerns over the movement of criminals, narcotics and trafficking networks.

Will a fence stop human trafficking?
Experts say fencing may reduce unauthorised movement through certain routes, but it cannot eliminate organised trafficking networks.

Since 2017, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) has been responding to human trafficking affecting Rohingya refugees in camps and Bangladeshi communities in Cox’s Bazar.

IOM data shows that by August 2019, it had identified 96 Rohingya victims of trafficking from camp settlements. Many victims were transported to Chattogram, while others were taken to Dhaka and different areas of Cox’s Bazar, including Teknaf, Ukhia, Patiya, Keranirhat, Hathazari and Alikadam.

Traffickers often used buses, auto-rickshaws and hidden routes through forests or waterways to avoid security checks. Some also used fake or altered identification documents to conceal victims.

The Myanmar border is also considered a major route for narcotics entering Bangladesh, particularly methamphetamine tablets known as yaba.

According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), Myanmar remains the leading source country for methamphetamine production. The organisation says the expansion of production networks has created new trafficking routes and markets across Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

Global drug use is also increasing. UNODC estimates that around 331 million people used drugs in 2024, accounting for 6.2 per cent of the global population aged 15-64.

Security analysts believe that physical barriers can support border management but cannot replace diplomatic and law-enforcement cooperation.

Speaking to The New Nation, Dr Saber Ahmed Chowdhury, a global security expert said the effectiveness of the fence would depend on cooperation from Myanmar authorities.

“It is not enough to consider only what the government of Bangladesh wants. The position of the Government of Myanmar also needs to be taken into account,” he said.

He stressed the need for a state-level understanding between the two countries and tougher action against criminal syndicates operating on both sides of the border.

While border fencing may help reduce illegal crossings in vulnerable areas, experts say trafficking and drug smuggling are driven by organised networks that operate beyond physical boundaries.

To make the initiative effective, authorities may need to combine fencing with stronger intelligence gathering, surveillance technology, regional cooperation and coordinated action against criminal groups.

A 108-kilometre fence may strengthen Bangladesh’s border defence, but stopping organised crime will require measures that go beyond barbed wire.