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I have no way of getting in touch with him. I don't visit the other forum - no interest.
Bangladesh Defense
I have no way of getting in touch with him. I don't visit the other forum - no interest.
Saif
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Bangladesh deploys Turkish drones near border, India on high alert: Sources
India has increased surveillance along the India-Bangladesh border after reports of Bangladesh deploying Turkish-made Bayraktar TB2 drones. The move follows growing intelligence about terrorist activity and political instability in Bangladesh.
Bangladesh deploys Turkish drones near border, India on high alert: Sources
Sources said the Army was verifying reports on the deployment of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) close to the border with India. These drones were recently acquired by Bangladesh.
India has intensified surveillance along the Bangladesh border amid reports that the neighbouring country has deployed Turkey-made drones near West Bengal, sources told India Today. The development comes against the backdrop of intelligence inputs indicating an increase in terrorist activity along the border areas after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government.
Sources said the Army was verifying reports on the deployment of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) close to the border with India. These drones are operated by Bangladesh's 67th Army for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. While Bangladesh claimed the deployment is for defence purposes, the strategic significance of positioning such advanced drones in a sensitive region has not been overlooked by India.
Intel inputs have suggested that extremist elements, suppressed during Hasina's tenure, were regaining a foothold in regions close to the Indian border. The inputs mentioned that terror groups and smuggling networks were exploiting the political instability in Bangladesh to infiltrate into India.
"After Hasina's ouster, the border areas have seen a surge in anti-India elements. The combination of political instability and advanced UAV deployments near Indian borders requires heightened vigilance," a senior intelligence officer told India Today.
BAYRAKTAR DRONES AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
The Bayraktar TB2 drones, acquired by Bangladesh earlier this year, have enhanced its ability to conduct surveillance and light strike operations. According to Defence Technology of Bangladesh (DTB), 6 of the 12 drones ordered have been operationalised.
INDIA'S RESPONSE
The armed forces are already on high alert amid the unrest in Bangladesh and are closely assessing the fresh drone deployments. The Armed Forces have the option to deploy drones like the Heron TP, and intensify counter-drone operations in sensitive regions.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and will take countermeasures as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our borders," a senior defence official said. India is also leveraging intelligence-sharing mechanisms and cooperation with international partners to track the situation in Bangladesh.
Sources said the Army was verifying reports on the deployment of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) close to the border with India. These drones were recently acquired by Bangladesh.
India has intensified surveillance along the Bangladesh border amid reports that the neighbouring country has deployed Turkey-made drones near West Bengal, sources told India Today. The development comes against the backdrop of intelligence inputs indicating an increase in terrorist activity along the border areas after the fall of Sheikh Hasina's Awami League government.
Sources said the Army was verifying reports on the deployment of Bayraktar TB2 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) close to the border with India. These drones are operated by Bangladesh's 67th Army for intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. While Bangladesh claimed the deployment is for defence purposes, the strategic significance of positioning such advanced drones in a sensitive region has not been overlooked by India.
Intel inputs have suggested that extremist elements, suppressed during Hasina's tenure, were regaining a foothold in regions close to the Indian border. The inputs mentioned that terror groups and smuggling networks were exploiting the political instability in Bangladesh to infiltrate into India.
"After Hasina's ouster, the border areas have seen a surge in anti-India elements. The combination of political instability and advanced UAV deployments near Indian borders requires heightened vigilance," a senior intelligence officer told India Today.
BAYRAKTAR DRONES AND STRATEGIC IMPLICATIONS
The Bayraktar TB2 drones, acquired by Bangladesh earlier this year, have enhanced its ability to conduct surveillance and light strike operations. According to Defence Technology of Bangladesh (DTB), 6 of the 12 drones ordered have been operationalised.
INDIA'S RESPONSE
The armed forces are already on high alert amid the unrest in Bangladesh and are closely assessing the fresh drone deployments. The Armed Forces have the option to deploy drones like the Heron TP, and intensify counter-drone operations in sensitive regions.
"We are monitoring the situation closely and will take countermeasures as necessary to ensure the safety and security of our borders," a senior defence official said. India is also leveraging intelligence-sharing mechanisms and cooperation with international partners to track the situation in Bangladesh.
Saif
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As far as I know the attack drones have been deployed near West Bengal. Chinese Baidu Satellite navigation will rescue us. China is a life-saver.
Saif
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Dhaka-Delhi Ties: Normalcy to return once elected govt is in place
The India-Bangladesh relations will normalise once an elected government is in place, said Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi yesterday.
Dhaka-Delhi Ties: Normalcy to return once elected govt is in place
Says Indian army chief
Upendra Dwivedi
The India-Bangladesh relations will normalise once an elected government is in place, said Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi yesterday.
"The military relations between the two countries remain perfect. But if you talk about the overall relations between the two countries, I would say that it will be normal once an elected government comes to power," he said in his annual press conference ahead of the Army Day celebrations in New Delhi.
Dwivedi described Bangladesh as a "strategic neighbour" and said any kind of animosity between the two countries is not in the best interest of either nation.
"I take your mind back to when the Bangladesh army chief recently said that India was a strategic neighbour of his country. It is the same vice versa -- Bangladesh is strategically important to us. We are neighbours. We have to live together, understand each other, and any kind of animosity is not in each other's interest."
The Indian army chief said he has been in regular contact with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Waker-Uz-Zaman, including during the regime change.
He mentioned a video conference with Waker on November 24 last year and has stayed in touch with him since.
Bangladesh shares a significant border with India, except for a small portion in the southeastern region, and no other country shares such an extensive border with India, he said.
The comments come at a time when relations between the two countries remain strained in the aftermath of the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India.
The two countries have summoned their envoys in Dhaka and New Delhi amid tensions over border fencing by the Indian Border Security Force.
Although the relationship between the militaries of the two countries remains "perfect", the joint military exercises have been temporarily put on hold due to the current situation in Bangladesh.
The joint military exercises would resume once the situation stabilises.
On military cooperation, he said it is "on the rise again."
Responding to a question about the vulnerability of India's northeastern states following allegations that "anti-India" elements were being allowed free movement near the border, Dwivedi said: "There is no vulnerability from either side."
Says Indian army chief
Upendra Dwivedi
The India-Bangladesh relations will normalise once an elected government is in place, said Indian Army Chief General Upendra Dwivedi yesterday.
"The military relations between the two countries remain perfect. But if you talk about the overall relations between the two countries, I would say that it will be normal once an elected government comes to power," he said in his annual press conference ahead of the Army Day celebrations in New Delhi.
Dwivedi described Bangladesh as a "strategic neighbour" and said any kind of animosity between the two countries is not in the best interest of either nation.
"I take your mind back to when the Bangladesh army chief recently said that India was a strategic neighbour of his country. It is the same vice versa -- Bangladesh is strategically important to us. We are neighbours. We have to live together, understand each other, and any kind of animosity is not in each other's interest."
The Indian army chief said he has been in regular contact with his Bangladeshi counterpart, Waker-Uz-Zaman, including during the regime change.
He mentioned a video conference with Waker on November 24 last year and has stayed in touch with him since.
Bangladesh shares a significant border with India, except for a small portion in the southeastern region, and no other country shares such an extensive border with India, he said.
The comments come at a time when relations between the two countries remain strained in the aftermath of the ouster of Sheikh Hasina and her fleeing to India.
The two countries have summoned their envoys in Dhaka and New Delhi amid tensions over border fencing by the Indian Border Security Force.
Although the relationship between the militaries of the two countries remains "perfect", the joint military exercises have been temporarily put on hold due to the current situation in Bangladesh.
The joint military exercises would resume once the situation stabilises.
On military cooperation, he said it is "on the rise again."
Responding to a question about the vulnerability of India's northeastern states following allegations that "anti-India" elements were being allowed free movement near the border, Dwivedi said: "There is no vulnerability from either side."
Saif
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Lt. General Pradeep Bali has said that India will take the fight inside Bangladesh and China. I think Bangladesh should start thinking of signing a military pact with China to deal with such intimidation by the Indian army.
www.tribuneindia.com
Security dynamics of the Siliguri corridor - The Tribune
The army units must carry out public training exercises near the Bangladesh border to give a clear message. This should be done in concert with the BSF.
Security dynamics of the Siliguri corridor
The army units must carry out public training exercises near the Bangladesh border to give a clear message. This should be done in concert with the BSF.
Lt Gen Pradeep Bali Retd
Updated At : 02:02 AM Feb 28, 2025 IST
Tough role: The BSF guards the 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh. PTI
THE turbulence and violence in the neighbouring Bangladesh reflect latent security threats and implications which may well spill over across the border, especially in the sensitive region of the Siliguri corridor. The geographical attributes and cartographic peculiarities of this area create vulnerabilities which can be exploited by inimical elements using non-conventional methods.
This corridor, which links India with eight of its states in the north-east, is formed due to the sudden decrease in width as the Indian territory extends eastwards across the land mass linking north Bengal with Assam and with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh hedging in this area from the west, north and south, respectively. The shortest expanse is 20 km, between Naxalbari on the India-Nepal border and Phansidewa on the India-Bangladesh border. Close to this is the 30-km transit route for third-party trade permitted by India between the border checkpoints of Kakarbhitta in Nepal and Banglabandha in Bangladesh. The Indian territoryโs width between Bhutan and Bangladesh is 43 km at its narrowest. Known as the 'gateway to the Northeast', major communication arteries, including NH 17 and 27, broad gauge rail lines, oil and gas pipelines and the national power grid, pass through it. The strategic airfields of Bagdogra and Hasimara, important military formation HQs, and the large towns of Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are located within this corridor.
In the north, this area is over 40 km from the Chinese territory of Chumbi Valley, across the undeveloped mountainous terrain of south Bhutan till the Indian border. However, all along its southern length, it is flanked by the undulating border with Bangladesh as it meanders across the riverine terrain and swampy areas.
Guarding such a border, primarily against illegal immigrants and smugglers, is a herculean task as it is also densely populated on either side.
The conventional threats to the Siliguri corridor appear overhyped. Whether it is the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) through Bhutan or the Bangladesh forces from the south, the Indian armed forces can deter them and may well carry the battle across in the unlikely scenario of hostilities breaking out.
The real threat lies in the unconventional domain. The high volume of illegal crossings driving a rapid demographic change, ethnic assertion turning to insurgency and support for both from across the borders โ these are the actual security challenges.
Illegal immigration from Bangladesh has always been the bane of this region. It has impacted the ethnic composition of the populace in towns and villages. It has built up over the years in the garb of labour, domestic workers and petty businesses, including trans-border smuggling. All this provides a human resource for creating unrest in a vital part of India.
A strong vein of Islamic fundamentalism had existed in East Bengal even before and after 1947, when it became the East of Jinnah's Pakistan. 1971 did not exorcise these elements. Pakistan recognised Bangladesh in 1974. Ironically, Pak PM Bhutto got a hero's welcome in Dhaka barely three years after the Pakistan army's infamous Operation Searchlight in 1971, which led to the Bangladesh liberation war.
Khaleda Zia's tenure from 2001 to 2006 was the high noon of Pakistan/ISI influence with radical Islamists in government. Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami ran terror operations, targeting Indian interests with impunity. Sheikh Hasina did focus on this common enemy, but she could not eliminate the powerful strain of opinion.
Post the regime change in Bangladesh, the emerging alignment between Bangladesh and Pakistan does not augur well for peace and stability in the adjoining regions. The fundamentalist elements who have come to fore in the post-Hasina era would find mutuality of interests with a rogue state like Pakistan, whose ISI, for one, would like to get involved in this part of the sub-continent. This could create turbulence in the adjoining Indian territory that is under favourable ethnic conditions, structured on illegal migrants, with support bases in Bangladesh.
The recent interceptions of suspicious radio signals across the border point at jihadis in Bangladesh working in cohorts with Pakistan's ISI for nefarious designs against India. A readily available recruitment base of Rohingya refugees gives a further impetus to the launch of anti-India terrorist operations.
The role of guarding the 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh, including the Siliguri corridor, is performed by the Border Security Force (BSF). The largest among the central armed police forces, the BSF is well-structured and well equipped. While there are a few military stations near Siliguri, no army units are deployed opposite Bangladesh, though some formations may have a dual task role on this border.
The Director General-level talks between the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh held in New Delhi last week focussed on the contentious issue of erecting border fencing in the remaining areas, attacks on BSF personnel, movement of illegal immigrants, curbing anti-India insurgent groups and smuggling of arms and drugs into India. But all this is as repetitive as it is inconclusive.
The BSF, while doing a stellar job on this border, feels sandwiched between Bangladesh and the Indian villages and towns populated by Bangladeshi illegals and their Indian sympathisers. Any strong check on human trafficking and animal and drug smuggling is strongly resisted.
The focus should be on all issues of concern in this vital corridor. The BSF must be further empowered. The BSF also has the legal sanction to check border-related crimes within 50 km of the IB and this should be done with blazing publicity.
Deterrence and signalling are clear indicators of intent. The army units in the region must carry out public training exercises near the border to give a clear message. This should be done in concert with the BSF. It will be a morale booster for the forces.
Above all, our intelligence agencies need to get their act together, with an ear to the ground. Intelligence failures have often led to initial debacles, leading to blame game. This can be obviated by adopting a thoroughly professional approach in this aspect.
The Bangladesh situation's possible fallout in the most sensitive part of India must be taken in all seriousness. It cannot be left to the ambiguous and non-tangible confabulations of diplomacy alone. Indian hard power has to be in clear display to protect safety and deter any kind of threat, especially non-conventional threat.
The army units must carry out public training exercises near the Bangladesh border to give a clear message. This should be done in concert with the BSF.
Lt Gen Pradeep Bali Retd
Updated At : 02:02 AM Feb 28, 2025 IST
Tough role: The BSF guards the 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh. PTI
THE turbulence and violence in the neighbouring Bangladesh reflect latent security threats and implications which may well spill over across the border, especially in the sensitive region of the Siliguri corridor. The geographical attributes and cartographic peculiarities of this area create vulnerabilities which can be exploited by inimical elements using non-conventional methods.
This corridor, which links India with eight of its states in the north-east, is formed due to the sudden decrease in width as the Indian territory extends eastwards across the land mass linking north Bengal with Assam and with Nepal, Bhutan and Bangladesh hedging in this area from the west, north and south, respectively. The shortest expanse is 20 km, between Naxalbari on the India-Nepal border and Phansidewa on the India-Bangladesh border. Close to this is the 30-km transit route for third-party trade permitted by India between the border checkpoints of Kakarbhitta in Nepal and Banglabandha in Bangladesh. The Indian territoryโs width between Bhutan and Bangladesh is 43 km at its narrowest. Known as the 'gateway to the Northeast', major communication arteries, including NH 17 and 27, broad gauge rail lines, oil and gas pipelines and the national power grid, pass through it. The strategic airfields of Bagdogra and Hasimara, important military formation HQs, and the large towns of Siliguri, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar are located within this corridor.
In the north, this area is over 40 km from the Chinese territory of Chumbi Valley, across the undeveloped mountainous terrain of south Bhutan till the Indian border. However, all along its southern length, it is flanked by the undulating border with Bangladesh as it meanders across the riverine terrain and swampy areas.
Guarding such a border, primarily against illegal immigrants and smugglers, is a herculean task as it is also densely populated on either side.
The conventional threats to the Siliguri corridor appear overhyped. Whether it is the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) through Bhutan or the Bangladesh forces from the south, the Indian armed forces can deter them and may well carry the battle across in the unlikely scenario of hostilities breaking out.
The real threat lies in the unconventional domain. The high volume of illegal crossings driving a rapid demographic change, ethnic assertion turning to insurgency and support for both from across the borders โ these are the actual security challenges.
Illegal immigration from Bangladesh has always been the bane of this region. It has impacted the ethnic composition of the populace in towns and villages. It has built up over the years in the garb of labour, domestic workers and petty businesses, including trans-border smuggling. All this provides a human resource for creating unrest in a vital part of India.
A strong vein of Islamic fundamentalism had existed in East Bengal even before and after 1947, when it became the East of Jinnah's Pakistan. 1971 did not exorcise these elements. Pakistan recognised Bangladesh in 1974. Ironically, Pak PM Bhutto got a hero's welcome in Dhaka barely three years after the Pakistan army's infamous Operation Searchlight in 1971, which led to the Bangladesh liberation war.
Khaleda Zia's tenure from 2001 to 2006 was the high noon of Pakistan/ISI influence with radical Islamists in government. Harkat-ul-Jihad al-Islami ran terror operations, targeting Indian interests with impunity. Sheikh Hasina did focus on this common enemy, but she could not eliminate the powerful strain of opinion.
Post the regime change in Bangladesh, the emerging alignment between Bangladesh and Pakistan does not augur well for peace and stability in the adjoining regions. The fundamentalist elements who have come to fore in the post-Hasina era would find mutuality of interests with a rogue state like Pakistan, whose ISI, for one, would like to get involved in this part of the sub-continent. This could create turbulence in the adjoining Indian territory that is under favourable ethnic conditions, structured on illegal migrants, with support bases in Bangladesh.
The recent interceptions of suspicious radio signals across the border point at jihadis in Bangladesh working in cohorts with Pakistan's ISI for nefarious designs against India. A readily available recruitment base of Rohingya refugees gives a further impetus to the launch of anti-India terrorist operations.
The role of guarding the 4,096-km long border with Bangladesh, including the Siliguri corridor, is performed by the Border Security Force (BSF). The largest among the central armed police forces, the BSF is well-structured and well equipped. While there are a few military stations near Siliguri, no army units are deployed opposite Bangladesh, though some formations may have a dual task role on this border.
The Director General-level talks between the BSF and the Border Guard Bangladesh held in New Delhi last week focussed on the contentious issue of erecting border fencing in the remaining areas, attacks on BSF personnel, movement of illegal immigrants, curbing anti-India insurgent groups and smuggling of arms and drugs into India. But all this is as repetitive as it is inconclusive.
The BSF, while doing a stellar job on this border, feels sandwiched between Bangladesh and the Indian villages and towns populated by Bangladeshi illegals and their Indian sympathisers. Any strong check on human trafficking and animal and drug smuggling is strongly resisted.
The focus should be on all issues of concern in this vital corridor. The BSF must be further empowered. The BSF also has the legal sanction to check border-related crimes within 50 km of the IB and this should be done with blazing publicity.
Deterrence and signalling are clear indicators of intent. The army units in the region must carry out public training exercises near the border to give a clear message. This should be done in concert with the BSF. It will be a morale booster for the forces.
Above all, our intelligence agencies need to get their act together, with an ear to the ground. Intelligence failures have often led to initial debacles, leading to blame game. This can be obviated by adopting a thoroughly professional approach in this aspect.
The Bangladesh situation's possible fallout in the most sensitive part of India must be taken in all seriousness. It cannot be left to the ambiguous and non-tangible confabulations of diplomacy alone. Indian hard power has to be in clear display to protect safety and deter any kind of threat, especially non-conventional threat.
Last edited:
Saif
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Consider Action Against Bangladesh Along With Pak: Himanta Sarma To Centre
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said India should take tough action against Bangladesh also along with Pakistan.
www.ndtv.com
Consider Action Against Bangladesh Along With Pak: Himanta Sarma To Centre
Himanta Sarma stressed that the decision will be taken by the Central government but he shared the sentiment of other political leaders of the Northeast demanding tough action against Bangladesh.
Press Trust of India
Dibrugarh: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said India should take tough action against Bangladesh also along with Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function, Mr Sarma said, "India should take tough action against Bangladesh also but these are strategic decisions, and we should not go beyond a point." He hoped that such measures are under active consideration of the central government.
"As a chief minister, we can request but the decision will be taken by the Government of India after considering the entire security aspect that whether you take Pakistan and Bangladesh at a time or one by one," Mr Sarma said.
He stressed that the decision will be taken by the Central government but he shared the sentiment of other political leaders of the Northeast demanding tough action against Bangladesh.
"The country should repose faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people should refrain from expert comment," he added.
In Dibrugarh, Mr Sarma along with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated two flyovers to ease traffic congestion in the town.
The two projects were constructed at a cost of Rs 117 crore, Mr Sarma said.
Himanta Sarma stressed that the decision will be taken by the Central government but he shared the sentiment of other political leaders of the Northeast demanding tough action against Bangladesh.
Press Trust of India
Dibrugarh: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday said India should take tough action against Bangladesh also along with Pakistan.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of an official function, Mr Sarma said, "India should take tough action against Bangladesh also but these are strategic decisions, and we should not go beyond a point." He hoped that such measures are under active consideration of the central government.
"As a chief minister, we can request but the decision will be taken by the Government of India after considering the entire security aspect that whether you take Pakistan and Bangladesh at a time or one by one," Mr Sarma said.
He stressed that the decision will be taken by the Central government but he shared the sentiment of other political leaders of the Northeast demanding tough action against Bangladesh.
"The country should repose faith in Prime Minister Narendra Modi and people should refrain from expert comment," he added.
In Dibrugarh, Mr Sarma along with Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated two flyovers to ease traffic congestion in the town.
The two projects were constructed at a cost of Rs 117 crore, Mr Sarma said.
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