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[🇧🇩-Land] Atrocities of BSF/How BGB responds

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Only farmers to be allowed within 150 yards of border
Staff Correspondent . Rajshahi 23 January, 2025, 00:29

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A sector commander-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Indian Border Security Force on Wednesday decided that no one except Bangladeshi and Indian farmers would be allowed to enter the 150-yard area from the border pillars.

The meeting was held at the conference room of the Sonamasjid border outpost in Chapainawabganj.

Rajshahi sector BGB commander Colonel Md Imran Ibne A Rouf led the Bangladeshi team while Malda sector BSF DIG Tarun Kumar Gautam represented the BSF side.

BGB 59th Battalion (Rohanpur) commander Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria said that they discussed various issues, including the recent incident of clash between Bangladeshi and Indian villagers at the Chowka border, and came up with four key decisions.

‘No one except Bangladeshi and Indian farmers will be allowed to enter within 150 years of the zero line on the border while any issues related to the border will be resolved through discussions and coordination between the BGB and the BSF,’ he said.

The meeting also agreed that the media of the two countries would refrain from spreading propaganda or rumour related to the border and cooperation between the two countries’ border forces would be ensured to discourage illegal border crossings and drug trafficking by locals.

The decision came after Indian villagers on January 18 clashed with Bangladeshis over harvesting crops on the no man’s land along the border, leaving three people injured and erupting a fresh tension along the Chowka border in Chapainawabganj.

Earlier on January 8, tension erupted along Chowka border at Shibganj upazila in the district as the BSF began constructing fences along the border despite repeated objections from the BGB.

According to the international law, no permanent structures or fences, except for agricultural activities, can be erected within 150 yards of the border pillars of either country.

Tensions has persisted in the border areas since the final week of December of the past year as the Border Guard Bangladesh and local people protested against India’s construction of barbed wire fences at five points along the border in Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat.

On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, and expressed concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protested at the killing of a Bangladeshi national by the Indian BSF.

India has already constructed barbed wire fences along 3,271 kilometres of the 4,156km border, Bangladesh home affairs adviser retired lieutenant general Jahangir Alam Chowdhury recently said.​
 

BSF issues 10-day ops alert along Bangladesh border
Staff Correspondent 25 January, 2025, 00:21

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File photo

India’s Border Security Force has issued a 10-day ‘Ops Alert’, effective from January 22, and will exercise the alert along the India-Bangladesh border to tighten security during India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations.

India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations will be held on January 26.

The tightened security would be continued from January 22 to January 31 marking the republic day and owing to the changed scenario in Bangladesh, according to an anandabazar.com report published on Friday.

‘The Ops Alert commenced across all its field formations along the 4,096-kilometre border to ensure heightened security and strengthened border outposts,’ said a Headquarters Special DG BSF (EC), Kolkata release issued on Thursday and shared by the Indian media.

The official release also said that during the period of ‘Ops Alert’ exercise, patrolling and other domination duties along the India-Bangladesh border would be intensified.

India issued the ‘Ops Alert’ at a time when tensions between Bangladesh and India have continued over border-related issues.

Tensions along the Bangladesh-India border have been continuing since the last week of December 2024 as the Border Guard Bangladesh and local people had protested against the BSF’s efforts to construct barbed wire fences at five points along the border in Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat.

The BSF Friday morning detained a Bangladeshi farmer allegedly from 100 yards inside Bangladesh from the border pillar 321/1 S at Bitnagar of Dharmapur union at Biral upazila in Dinajpur district and returned him six hours later.

Later, local people detained an Indian national Narayn Chandra,54, while working in the Indian side of the International border under the Kushmandi police station in Dakshin Dinajpur district of India and brought him to the Bangladesh side and handed him over to the BGB Anayetpur border outpost, said the BGB officials.

BGB 42 Battalion commanding officer Lieutenant Colonel Ahsanul Islam said that both the detainees of the two countries were exchanged following a BGB-BSF flag meeting.

Indian villagers on January 18 clashed with Bangladeshis over harvesting crops on the no man’s land, leaving three people injured and erupting a fresh tension along the Chowka border in Chapainawabganj.

Earlier on January 8, tension erupted along Chowka border at Shibganj upazila in the district as the BSF began constructing fences along the border despite repeated objections from the BGB.

On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, and expressed concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protested at the recent killing of a Bangladeshi national by the Indian BSF on the border.​
 

Bangladeshi youth injured in BSF firing along C’nawabganj border
Staff Correspondent . Rajshahi 25 January, 2025, 14:56

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A Bangladeshi farmer was injured as the Indian Border Security Force opened fire on him at Telkupi bordering area under Shibganj upazila in Chapainawabganj early Saturday.

The injured, Habil Uddin, 30, of Telkupi village under the upazila, is now undergoing treatment at Rajshahi Medical College Hospital.

The incident happened just two days after a sector commander-level meeting between the Border Guard Bangladesh and the BSF on Wednesday had decided to allow Bangladeshi and Indian farmers to enter the 150-yard area from the border pillars.

Sankar K Biswas, the in-charge of RMCH emergency department, said that the victim’s family members took bullet-hit Habil to the hospital at about 11:30am on Saturday.

‘Habil received a bullet in his back and he had to undergo an immediate surgery,’ he said.

Before entering the room of the operation theatre, Habil, claiming himself as a farmer, told New Age that he went to water his wheat field in the Telkupi border area at about 5:30am.

‘When I started the shallow-engine-run pump, BSF personnel who had been standing inside the Indian side, opened fire targeting me. As I started to flee, a bullet hit me,’ he added.

The BGB, however, claimed that injured Habil was a smuggler.

The 59th BGB battalion commander Lieutenant Colonel Golam Kibria said that BSF personnel opened fire when a group of eight Bangladeshi youths had illegally entered India for a smuggling attempt.

Muhammad Kashed Ali, a member of Shahbajpur Union Parishad who visited the wheat field, said that local people informed him that Habil had never been involved in smuggling.

‘He is a farmer who went to water his wheat field,’ he said.

On January 8, tension erupted along Chowka border under Shibganj in the district as the BSF began constructing fences along the border despite repeated objections from the BGB.

According to international law, no permanent structures or fences, except for agricultural activities, can be erected within 150 yards of the border pillars of either country.

Amid growing tension between the two neighbouring countries, the BSF has issued a 10-day ‘Ops Alert’ from January 22, and will exercise the alert along the India-Bangladesh border to tighten security during India’s 76th Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

The tightened security will continue until January 31 marking the Republic Day and owing to the changed scenario in Bangladesh, according to an anandabazar.com report published on January 24.

Tensions have persisted in the border areas since the final week of December 2024 as the BGB and local people protested against India’s construction of barbed wire fences at five points along the border in Chapainawabganj, Naogaon and Lalmonirhat.

On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the Indian high commissioner to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, and expressed concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protested at the killing of a Bangladesh national by the BSF.

On January 18, Indian villagers clashed with Bangladeshis over harvesting crops on the no man’s land along the border, leaving three people injured along the Chowka border in Chapainawabganj.

Following the incident, the BGB and the BSF on January 22 decided not to allow anyone except Bangladeshi and Indian farmers to enter the 150-yard area from the border pillars and resolve border issues through discussions and coordination between the duo security forces.

According to human rights organisation Ain o Salish Kendra, at least 25 Bangladeshis were shot to death by the BSF members, while 25 others were injured in 2024.​
 

BGB-BSF talks in Feb 17-20
Staff Correspondent 29 January, 2025, 23:46

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Border forces of Bangladesh and India are set to hold a director general-level meeting in New Delhi of India from February 17 to 20 amid tensions between the two neighbours over border fencing at several points by India’s Border Security Force.

Bangladesh would renew its call for an end to the killing of unarmed Bangladeshi nationals along the border by the BSF and the smuggling of drugs from India at the meeting that would also discuss disputes over the border lines in Muhurir Char area in Feni, border pillar installation, coordinated border management plan, according to officials concerned.

‘The four-day DG-level talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Border Security Force of India will be held in New Delhi from February 17 to 20, where Bangladesh side would seek to scrap uneven agreements with India and discuss other border-related issues,’ home adviser retired Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury told a press briefing after presiding over an inter-ministerial meeting for the preparations of the 55th BGB-BSF DG-level talks.

He said that Bangladesh would raise the issues of the killing and detention of Bangladesh citizens along the border by the BSF and Indians, infiltrations of Indian nationals inside Bangladesh territory, common rivers, and the smuggling of weapons and drugs into Bangladesh.

The government has recently urged India to refrain from any provocative actions amid tensions along the border over the construction of barbed wire fences in violation of the international law at five points in bordering districts of Chapainawabgang, Lalmonirhat and Naogaon with the deployment of additional forces on both the sides.

On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the high commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, to express its concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protest at the recent killing of a Bangladeshi national by the BSF in the border.

The home adviser said that development activities were being carried out by India within 150 yards along the border without the consent of Bangladesh side.

Moreover, the BSF along with Indian nationals were detaining Bangladeshis illegally entering into Bangladesh territory, he said.

‘These issues will be raised at the DG-level talks,’ he said, adding that Bangladesh would propose installation of water treatment plants in four canals where waste water flows from India’s Agartala to Bangladesh’s Akhaura in Brahmanbaria.

He said that the spread of rumours about Bangladesh’s current situation by the Indian media and social networking sites would also be raised in the upcoming meeting.

Asked for further details about uneven agreements, Jahangir said, ‘All kinds of unequal agreements related to the border with India will be discussed.’

He said that in 2011, an unequal agreement was signed with India regarding the Tin Bigha and Dahagram corridors of Bangladesh.

‘If any development work is done within 150 yards of the border, permission from both sides is required. There is no scope of doing these things unilaterally,’ he said.

The border management-related deals with India include the Land Boundary Agreement-1974, Joint India-Bangladesh Guide Line for Border Authorities-1975, Land Boundary Agreement Protocol-2011 (Exchange of enclaves/disposal of disputed land) and Coordinated Border Management Plan-2011 (Border patrolling, flag meeting and confidence building measures), said officials.

Border killings continued to go unabated as at least 30 Bangladeshis were killed in BSF firing in 2024, according to rights organisation Ain O Salish Kendra.

In the latest incident, 34-year-old Ahad Ali was hacked to death by a group of Indians by entering Bangladesh territory in the Eolachhara area under Kulaura upazila in Moulvibazar on Sunday.

The ASK data also showed that 31 Bangladeshis were killed in BSF firing in 2023.

From January 2009 to November 2024, the BSF reportedly killed 588 Bangladeshis and injured 773 Bangladeshis, according to rights organisation Odhikar.​
 

India's West Bengal approves land acquisition for fencing border with Bangladesh
Staff Correspondent 30 January, 2025, 00:47

The West Bengal Cabinet had given the go-ahead for acquiring land for the Border Security Force of India to fence the India-Bangladesh border at Karimpur in the Nadia district, reported hindustantimes.com on Wednesday.

The move came amid tensions between the two countries over the construction of barbed wire fencing along some stretches of the frontier and cross-border clashes between farmers, said the report available online.

According to the report, an official said that the cabinet gave in-principle approval on Monday and the land procurement through the district-level committee will start soon.

‘We will soon inform the Union home ministry to place the fund with the committee,’ he said.

West Bengal shares a 2,216 km border with Bangladesh.​
 

Bangladesh to talk in ‘different tone' in BGB-BSF meeting: Home adviser
Special Correspondent
Dhaka
Published: 29 Jan 2025, 16: 50

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Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury speaks at a press briefing at the secretariat on 29 January 2025.Prothom Alo

Bangladesh will speak in a 'different tone' during the upcoming border conference between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and the Indian Border Security Force (BSF), says home affairs adviser Lt Gen (retd) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury.

He made the statement while briefing the media following an inter-ministerial preparatory meeting at the secretariat on Wednesday.

The home adviser, however, didn't elaborate the phrase' different tone'.

The border conference is scheduled to take place from 17 to 20 February in New Delhi of India. Alongside the regular agenda, Bangladesh will discuss border killings and unfair deals with the neighboring country during the meeting.

The adviser said border killings are not acceptable under any circumstances and must be stopped at any cost. “In many cases, the BSF and their miscreants abducted Bangladeshi citizens from the border while they were farming. They will be asked to stop this.”

Referring to drug smuggling, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the Indians set up Phensedyl and other drug factories in the bordering areas on the pretext of using those as medicine. But these are actually used as drugs and sent to Bangladesh.

At the same time, the Indian authorities occasionally take initiatives to carry out some activities that are restricted within the 150-yard of the border. Also, there are some activities that require permission from both sides, he said, adding the border conference will address these issues and lay emphasis on compliance of rules.

Among other issues, the conference will discuss ways to stop circulation of fake news by Indian media outlets, sharing river water in a fair way, implementing water sharing agreements, and improving bilateral ties as well as trust.

Mentioning four previous agreements with India, Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said there were some major problems in the agreement signed in 2010. The agreement is unequal to some extent. It will be discussed in the conference.

At the briefing, a journalist shared his experience of covering previous meetings at the border level and asked, “I do not see anything new on the agenda. Would you please say what is new here?”

The adviser responded that the tone of voice will be different than those in previous years.​
 

BSF installs electric poles on zero line in Patgram
Our Correspondent . Lalmonirhat 31 January, 2025, 17:03

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Indian Border Security Force allegedly erects electric pillars along the border in Patgram of Lalmonirhat. | UNB photo

The Indian Border Security Force installed electric pillars and searchlights on zero line at Gatiyar Bhita of Dhabalsuti Gatia under Patgram in Lalmonirhat on Thursday.

The instalment of the pillars and searchlights about a kilometre area on the zero line, breaching International Border Act, created fresh tensions in the bordering area’s people, according to Border Guard Bangladesh officials and people of the area.

The BSF also avoided the BGB call for company commander-level flag meeting on Friday afternoon, mentioned the BGB officials.

The BSF 98th battalion members of Phulkadabri camp in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, India, installed electric poles 50 yards inside the zero line of the border at Gatiyar Bhita.

As people of the area informed the BGB, a patrol team of the BGB Dhabalsuti border outpost protested at the BSF’s construction on Thursday night, and the BSF stopped it, they said. The international law does not allow constructing any such fences within 150 yards of the no man’s land.

The incident took place at a time when the BGB and the BSF were set to hold a director general-level meeting over border fencing at several points by Indian BSF in New Delhi in February 17–20.

Rabiul Islam, a resident of the area, said that the BSF members were coming to the zero line at night with huge deployment. ‘We, the villagers, are in panic due to the BSF activities,’ Rabiul added.

BGB Dhabalsuti camp company commander Mahbub Rahman said that the BSF installed electric pillars on Thursday.

‘We have protested and urged to stop the construction. Later, we called for a company commander-level flag meeting on Friday afternoon. But, the BSF did not respond to it,’ mentioned Mahbub.

BGB 61 battalion commanding officer lieutenant colonel Sheikh Mohammad Musahid Masumen could not be reached over phone despite several attempts.

The government has recently urged India to refrain from any provocative actions amid tensions along the border over the construction of barbed wire fences in violation of the international law at five points in bordering districts of Chapainawabgang, Lalmonirhat and Naogaon with the deployment of additional forces on both the sides.

On January 12, the foreign ministry summoned the high commissioner of India to Bangladesh, Pranay Verma, to express its concern over the construction of barbed wire fences and protest at the recent killing of a Bangladeshi national by the BSF in the border.

India had already constructed barbed wire fences in areas of 3,271 kilometres of the 4,156km border, according to Bangladesh government.​
 

Time for Delhi to stop playing border ploys, Dhaka to be bold
02 February, 2025, 00:00

THE installation of electric poles and searchlights by India’s Border Security Force within 50 yards of the zero line in the Patgram border in Lalmonirhat appears to be an insidious effort as the Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities of the Two Countries, or Border Guidelines, signed in 1975, does not allow the construction of structures within 150 yards from the zero line on each side of the border. The Coordinated Border Management Plan, which was signed in July 2011 and replaced the Border Guidelines, is said not to be different, in principle, from the guideline, but it is said to have made some significant deviations from the guideline in border management principles. Indian border forces of the Fulkadabri camp in the Cooch Behar district of West Bengal, installed the poles and searchlights, amidst heavy deployment, spanning a kilometre at night on January 30 in breach of the regulation, panicking people living in the area. Protest by a Border Guard Bangladesh patrol team stopped the installation. But, the Indian guards are reported to have ignored the call for a flag meeting between company commanders the next day.

The move at hand of the Indian border guards could well be construed as an attempt at discommoding the Bangladesh government, which is in a transitional phase, especially in view of a series of events have happened in the border with the direct involvement of India’s Border Security Force. Such events began in the final days of December 2024 with the erection of barbed-wire or electric fences along the border in Lalmonirhat, Chapainawabganj and Naogaon. Tension also brewed as the Indian guards on January 8 began erecting fences in the no man’s land. Indian forces tried to pick up a few Bangladeshis, harvesting wheat, at night on January 17, resulting in a scuffle, which rolled caused clashes involving several hundred villages of both Bangladesh and Indian the next morning, leaving three Bangladeshis wounded. Given that the director generals of the Bangladesh and the Indian border forces are scheduled to meet in New Delhi in February 17–20, with a focus on India’s erecting fences at several points along the border, there are ample reasons to believe that the January 30 incidents is part of a series of discommoding ploys of the Indian border forces that is unbecoming. Such events also endanger any efforts for improvement in bilateral relations, which have faced a setback because of India’s support for the authoritarian Awami League regime, toppled in a mass uprising on August 5, 2024.

Events creating border tension have also marked many occasions of border guard meetings between the two countries in the past. Delhi should understand that such events deepen an anti-India sentiment in Bangladesh. And, this is not welcome when both the neighbours are working to improve bilateral relations. Delhi should stop playing border ploys and Dhaka should adequately take up the issue with Delhi.​
 

Bangladesh-India border: more than a line
03 February, 2025, 00:00

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THE implications of strained border relations extend beyond politics. Border communities bear the brunt of these tensions, with disrupted livelihoods and lost lives, writes Imran Hossain

THE Bangladesh-India border has always been more than just a physical demarcation. It is a complex intersection of history, culture, and shared livelihoods. Yet, in recent months, this boundary has increasingly become a flashpoint for disputes, threatening the hard-won equilibrium between the two neighbours. For both nations, the stakes are high — economically, politically, and socially. For the people living along the border, it is not just a geopolitical issue; it is about their homes, lands and future.

Fences and fractures

INDIA’S move to construct barbed wire fencing along multiple segments of the border has sparked anger and concern in Bangladesh. These actions violate the 1975 Memorandum of Understanding, which prohibits development within 150 yards of the zero line without mutual consent. While India argues that fencing is necessary to curb smuggling and unauthorised migration, the perspective from Dhaka is starkly different. Many Bangladeshis see it as a challenge to sovereignty and an erosion of trust. Resistance to the fencing — from Lalmonirhat to Chapainawabganj — has been mounting among Bangladesh’s Border Guard and local communities.

Even within India, the border fence remains a divisive topic. Critics, including former diplomats and academics, argue that it undermines the spirit of friendship and cooperation essential to Indo-Bangladeshi relations. The irony of promoting bilateral ties while building physical barriers has not gone unnoticed. While supporters claim the fence has reduced illegal activities, these arguments often ignore the human cost of division.

To grasp the current tensions, one must revisit the historical context of the border. The 1947 partition, which created East Pakistan (now Bangladesh), laid the foundation for today’s disputes. The hastily drawn Radcliffe Line left unresolved territorial claims and enclaves that remained contentious for decades. The 2015 land boundary agreement marked a significant milestone, resolving enclave issues and clarifying territorial boundaries. However, the agreement also highlighted the power imbalance between the nations, leaving many in Bangladesh feeling sidelined by India’s strategic priorities.

India’s domestic politics have further complicated the situation. The Bharatiya Janata Party has used border security as a platform to amplify nationalist rhetoric. Visits by BJP lawmakers to fencing sites and interactions with the Border Security Force are not just about strengthening security — they also stoke nationalist fervour. For Bangladesh, this political narrative has added new layers of tension. India’s focus on ‘securing the border’ often leaves Bangladesh feeling scapegoated for internal political gain. While nationalist rhetoric may win votes, its long-term impact on bilateral ties could be deeply damaging.

Cost of conflict

THE implications of strained border relations extend beyond politics. Border communities bear the brunt of these tensions, with disrupted livelihoods and lost lives. Farmers worry about losing access to land, traders face increased scrutiny, and families mourn loved ones killed in cross-border violence. Incidents like the tragic death of Felani Khatun in 2011 remain powerful reminders of the human toll.

Beyond the emotional and physical cost, economic fallout is a growing concern. Bilateral trade, valued at billions annually, risks being undermined by diplomatic discord. The psychological burden on border residents caught in the middle of these disputes is equally devastating.

Pathways to peace

RESOLVING these tensions requires diplomacy, cooperation, and community engagement. First, high-level dialogues must be prioritised to address immediate concerns and rebuild trust. Both nations need to reaffirm their commitment to existing agreements and create mechanisms to prevent future violations.

Second, fostering collaboration between the Border Guard Bangladesh and the Indian Border Security Force is vital. Regular communication, joint patrols, and training exercises can build confidence and reduce misunderstandings.

Third, the voices of border communities must be heard. Awareness campaigns and conflict resolution programmes can empower residents to mediate tensions and foster cooperation. Addressing unclear territorial demarcations through joint surveys and committees could also resolve long-standing disputes.

Finally, political leaders on both sides must exercise restraint in using border issues as a tool for electoral gains. True security stems not from fences or rhetoric but from mutual respect and collaboration.

While historical disputes and current tensions have tested relations, the potential for cooperation remains immense. By focusing on equitable policies and community-driven approaches, both nations can transform the border from a source of division into a gateway for shared prosperity. The time for action is now — for the millions whose lives depend on peace and stability along this vital frontier.

Imran Hossain is a lecturer in business administration at the Rabindra Maitree University.​
 
@Saif bhai,

BDR massacred over 400 BSF and NSG Black Cat commandos in the Boraibari episode when Indians tried to invade Bangladesh. I don't think even Pakistanis have fought this type of conflict with Indians with these types of outcomes.

Here is a recount session. I'm sure you've posted it before, I haven't looked hard enough.

BSF and Indian MEA should be told - that if you play stupid games, you win stupid prizes.

 
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