India, Bangladesh to step up joint border patrolling

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs
02-August, 2017 16:18 IST
Construction of roads and flood lights along Indo-Bangladesh border

The budget allocation is Rs. 50 Crore each for floodlight work and road work along Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) for the financial year 2017-18. During 2017-18, an expenditure of Rs. 7.97 Crore for border roads and Rs. 6.06 Crore for border floodlight have been incurred by construction agencies along IBB.

Total 1181 Border Out Posts are held along IBB.

About 3004 km stretch along the Indo-Bangladesh Border has been covered by physical barriers. The balance border is covered by day & night patrolling, Ambush/Nakas, special operations, usage of force multipliers like high-tech surveillance equipments, Hand Held Thermal Imager (HHTI), improvised methods, etc.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply to question by Smt. Ranee Narah in the Rajya Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

http://www.deccanherald.com/content/633153/bsf-man-killed-cow-smuggler.html
Press Trust of India, Barasat (WB), Sep 14 2017, 21:07 IST

Superintendent of police P Sudhakar said Tushar Kanti Das of BSF 64 Battalion had spotted the minitruck at Gaighata in the morning and had given it a chase on a cycle along with a local.

A BSF personnel was killed near the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal's North 24 Parganas today when he tried to stop a mini truck smuggling cows across the border.

Superintendent of police P Sudhakar said Tushar Kanti Das of BSF 64 Battalion had spotted the minitruck at Gaighata in the morning and had given it a chase on a cycle along with a local.

He was hit fatally by the fleeing truck and was rushed to a local hospital, which declared him brought dead.

The truck also hit against a wayside shop while speeding away and the driver jumped down and escaped. The helper was caught by the locals and handed over to the police.

The truck with four cows was seized by the police, Sudhakar added.

 

[Hindustani78]

Assam police registered a case against the retired JCO, alleging he entered Assam illegally after March 25, 1971 without possessing any valid documents.
india Updated: Oct 01, 2017 12:22 IST

Assam police filed a case against retired JCO of Indian Army Mohd Azmal Hoque accusing him of being an illegal migrant from Bangladesh. In the picture Hoque is seen being honoured for his work during his service days.(HT Photo )

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india...bangladeshi/story-Ch6HMMNsdjLkQZJsjjIg0H.html


A retired army officer has been branded as a Bangladeshi immigrant by Assam police, asking him to prove his citizenship in a bizarre twist to the contentious issue of illegal migrants in the northeastern state.

Mohd Azmal Hoque, who retired as a junior commissioned officer (JCO) last year, after serving the army for 30 years was living a peaceful life with his family at Guwahati, when he received a notice from a foreigners’ tribunal last month.

Hoque has been asked to prove he is Indian and not an illegal Bangladeshi immigrant.

In Assam there are 100 foreigners’ tribunals set up to detect illegal immigrants, especially those who entered India after creation of Bangladesh.

The notice mentioned that the district police have registered a case against him alleging he entered Assam illegally without any valid documents after March 25, 1971, the day Pakistan army launched Operation Searchlight against the people of then East Pakistan.

The notice, issued on July 6, asked Hoque to appear before the court on September 11 to prove his citizenship, failing which the case against him would continue ex-parte.

But the 49-year-old failed to keep the date as the notice reached his ancestral village Kalahikash near Boko, nearly 70 km from the state capital, after September 11. He will now have to appear before the tribunal on October 13.

“This incident has saddened me a lot. Even after 30 years of service to the nation, we are asked to prove our identity. This is unnecessary harassment,” he told Hindustan Times.

Hoque joined the army in 1986 in a non-combat role as technician and retired from the corps of electronics and mechanical engineers (EME) as Subedar after serving at several places including border areas in Punjab and Arunachal Pradesh.

Incidentally, Hoque’s wife Mamtaj Begum had also been summoned by a foreigners’ tribunal in 2012 to prove her citizenship. Since she had all necessary documents, she was able to satisfy the tribunal.

Hoque’s son is at present studying in the prestigious Rashtriya Indian Military College in Dehradun while his daughter is at the Army Public School in Narengi, Guwahati.

Hoque maintains that his family is indigenous Assamese and his father’s name is mentioned in the voters list of 1966. His mother’s name is listed in the 1951 National Register of Citizens (NRC).

“I have no doubt that I will get justice at the tribunal. But it pains me when my daughter questions me if this is how the country treats those who serve it for so many years,” he said.

Infiltration of illegal immigrants from Bangladesh is an emotive issue in Assam. A six-year-anti-foreigner agitation from 1979 to 1985 led to signing of the Assam Accord which set March 25, 1971 as the cut of date for detection and deportation of illegal Bangladeshis.

As per official records, nearly 80,000 people have been detected as foreigners in Assam since 1986 and 29,729 were deported. At present around 200,000 cases are pending in the foreigners tribunals.

An interim report submitted earlier this year by a committee set up by the state’s BJP-led government to suggest measures to protect land rights of indigenous people claimed illegal Bangladeshis outnumber indigenous people in 15 of the state’s 33 districts.

This is not the first time a tribunal served a notice to a public servant. Earlier, Assam police constable Abu Taher Ahmed was accused of being an illegal immigrant. A foreigners’ tribunal later held him an Indian citizen.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://economictimes.indiatimes.com...ofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

In view of the increasing influx of illegal immigrants, especially Rohingyas, the BSF has identified 140 "vulnerable" locations on India-Bangladesh border and initiated a campaign to prevent their influx by curbing the activities of touts, the BSF chief said on Friday.

"We both (Border Security Force and Border Guards Bangladesh) are aware that the issue is very very serious as a large number of Rohingyas have entered Bangladesh and India. Both the forces discussed the issue and have taken steps to curb the menace," BSF Director General K.K. Sharma said here.

He was addressing media persons at the end of a four-day bi-annual Directors General-level talks, which began on October 2, between a 26-member Indian team and a 24-member Bangladesh delegation led by BGB chief Major General Abul Hossain.

The BSF officer said his counterpart had assured of major steps to deal with the movement of Rohingya Muslims, who have fled Rakhine state in Myanmar after security forces' action since August 25, by setting up roadblocks/checkpoints on various routes to ensure no one crossed into Indian territory illegally.

Sharma said BSF had identified "140 vulnerable border posts" along the 4,096.7-km India-Bangladesh border, from where some touts and organised groups help Rohingyas sneak into India.

"There are organised criminals on both sides who assist in their (Rohingyas) entry to India. So, we are mounting a campaign against these touts. We have deployed forces to strengthen security at these vulnerable posts. More manpower, technological inputs, and gadgets have been put in place."

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

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

The BSF Director General said the border force has "sensitised" local populace to inform authorities about people entering Indian illegally.

He said the BSF 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."

BGB chief Hossain told the media that his country had already begun mandatory registration of all Rohingyas entering Bangladesh.

He said his country was planning to fence the country's border with Myanmar.

"Five lakh people have already come to Bangladesh. It is a problem for our country... they cannot spread all over the country. Our government has taken a decision and the refugees have been housed in Cox's Bazar district," the BGB chief said. ..

He said the BGB had identified exit and entry points , which are being guarded by the force, and have started registration of the refugees.

"Our citizens have been informed to share details on any such person to law enforcement agencies," Hossain said, adding Myanmar had told Bangladesh to set up a joint working committee to find out Rohingyas and send them back to their native place.

At the DG-level talks, the BGB raised issues like firing, killing, injuring, and beating of Bangladesh nationals by the BSF as well as arrest or detention of Bangladesh citizens.

Smuggling of firearms, ammunition, explosive, drugs, development works within 150 yards of the International Border, assistance for river bank protection works along the border, confidence-building measure, exchange of visit by BGB-BSF medical team, prevention against attacks on BSF personnel by Bangladeshi criminals, and prevention of trans-border crimes was discussed at the meet.

On Friday, a Joint Record of Discussions was signed by the Directors General of BSF and BGB. The next DG-level talk will be hosted by the BGB in Dhaka in February/March 2018.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...glers-in-tripura-critical/article19870399.ece
Agartala, October 16, 2017 14:27 IST
Updated: October 16, 2017 14:33 IST

Deepak Mondal saw some cattle smugglers and challenged them, he said, adding the officer along with his guard and driver tried to stop them.


Suspected cattle smugglers attacked a Border Security Force (BSF) commanding officer along the India-Bangladesh border in Tripura in the early hours on Monday.

The second-in-command rank officer, Deepak K. Mondal, commanding the 145th battalion of the border guarding force is critical and has been air-evacuated to Kolkata, a senior official said.

The incident happened at about 2 a.m. near the Belardeppa border post in the Sipahijala district of the State when the officer was allegedly hit by a four-wheeler being used by the smugglers.

He was patrolling the area with his team to check cattle smuggling and other illegal activities along the international border which is “unfenced” in Agartala, he said.

Mr. Mondal saw some cattle smugglers and challenged them, he said, adding the officer along with his guard and driver tried to stop them.

“The group of about 25 smugglers were carrying bricks, lathis and machetes. When challenged, the smugglers tried to gherao the officer and the patrol party. Smugglers’ vehicle hit the officer from behind and he sustained severe injury to his head and legs and he is critical,” he said.

An accompanying BSF jawan fired five rounds from his AK rifle to control the situation, he said adding the area has been cordoned off.

 

[Hindustani78]

http://indianexpress.com/article/in...focus-cross-border-crimes-in-tripura-4895302/
Tripura shares 856 km of international boundary with Bangladesh, of which several patches totalling about 105 km are yet to be fenced.
Written by Samudra Gupta Kashyap | Guwahati | Updated: October 17, 2017 10:38 pm

Battalion in Sipahijala, came under attack of cattle smugglers around 2 am on Monday near the Belardeppa border post, hardly 45 km from Agartala, the state capital, and had to be flown to Kolkata for better treatment. (Source: Google Maps)

The attack on a commanding officer of the Border Security Force (BSF) by a gang of cattle smugglers in Sipahijala district of Tripura on Monday has once again brought to the fore the cross-border crime scenario between India and Bangladesh, with several patches of unfenced border only complicating the task of controlling crimes there. Deepak Kumar Mondal, a second-in-command rank officer who was commanding the BSF’s 145th Battalion in Sipahijala, came under attack of cattle smugglers around 2 am on Monday near the Belardeppa border post, hardly 45 km from Agartala, the state capital, and had to be flown to Kolkata for better treatment. Police meanwhile have arrested one Mamun Mia, said to be a member of the criminal gang which had attacked the BSF officer, with a court sending him to one day’s judicial custody. The police have sought 10 days’ custody of the man, while efforts are on to arrest more members of the gang, official sources said in Agartala on Tuesday.

Mondal was on duty along with his team to check cattle smuggling and other illegal activities that generally take place at the dead of night, saw some cattle smugglers, and tried to stop them with the help of his guard and driver. The smugglers, numbering about 25, who were armed with bricks, lathis and machetes, instead surrounded Mondal’s vehicle and hit him from behind, causing severe injuries to his head and legs.

While the jawan accompanying Monday fired five rounds to scare away the criminals, only after which Mondal was driven off to the nearest camp and provided first aid before being taken to a hospital. The officer, who sustained grievous injury, was later evacuated to Kolkata by air.

It was in March this year that a mob of suspected cross-border criminals had attacked another BSF patrol party near the Indo-Bangladesh border under Sabroom sub-division on South Tripura, following which three persons were killed when the jawans opened fire in self-defence. In July last year, a woman – also suspected to be member of a criminal gang – was killed when a BSF jawan opened fire in Sipahijala district. Villagers however had later complained that the jawan had tried to rape the woman, and had killed her when she tried to protest and raise an alarm.

Tripura shares 856 km of international boundary with Bangladesh, of which several patches totalling about 105 km are yet to be fenced. The government had sanctioned construction of fence for a length of 856.99 km, with the latest annual report of the ministry of home affairs saying 104.99 km fence was yet to be constructed. The areas where the fence is yet to be completed are “heavily populated and cultivated right up to the border,” the MHA annual report said.

While cattle comprises the bulk of smuggling activities across the Indo-Bangladesh border, smuggling of various other contraband items including drugs, ganja, cough syrup and medicine, and other items are also common. According to an MHA report, of the 1.78 lakh cattle that BSF had seized near the Indo-Bangladesh border during 2016 in West Bengal, Assam, Tripura and Meghalaya, Tripura alone accounted for 3,813, which is quite a high figure given the fact that it is a small state. BSF troops had also seized several cartons of Bangladesh-bound cough syrup valued at about Rs 6 crore.

 

[Hindustani78]

Trucks waiting at the Petrapole ICP. Debasish Bhaduri

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...desh-border/article19877866.ece?homepage=true

An ICP brings several useful facilities under one roof

The Home Ministry will move a Cabinet note to construct seven integrated check-posts (ICPs) along the Bangladesh border to give a fillip to trade and business with the neighbouring country.

In all, 13 such check-posts have been planned, seven of them along the Bangladesh border.

The project was envisaged in 2007. A separate body — the Land Port Authority of India (LPAI) — was constituted in 2011 to boost trade via the land border points.

A senior Home Ministry official said the Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) was studying the proposal estimated to cost ₹5,000 crore. “Once the EFC gives the green signal, the proposal will be sent to the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) for final clearance,” the official said.

Several facilities

The ICPs planned along the Bangladesh border are at Hili, Changrabandha, Ghojadanga, Mahadipur and Fulbari in West Bengal, Kawripuichhuah in Mizoram and Sutarkandi in Assam.

Eventually, 19 ICPs are expected to come up along the Bangladesh border. Besides the seven in West Bengal, three will be in Assam, two in Meghalaya and seven in Tripura.

An ICP has several facilities such as passenger terminal building, currency exchange counter, Internet hubs, cargo process building, cargo inspection sheds, warehouse, cold storage, quarantine laboratory, clearing agents, banks, vehicle scanners, isolation bay, parking and cafeteria.

Avoidable delays

Five ICPs — at Attari in Punjab (along the Pakistan border), Petrapole in West Bengal (Bangladesh border), Akhaura in Tripura (Bangladesh), Raxaul in Bihar (Nepal) and Jogbani in Bihar (Nepal) — are already functional.

“ICPs help put in place a system to secure the country’s borders against hostile elements. It also facilitates trade and commerce and boosts revenue,” said the official.

The official said currently various departments work in silos. “There are many vehicles waiting to cross over to Bangladesh or waiting to enter India that are stuck for over 20 days due to lack of clearance from customs or immigration authorities.

An ICP would help eliminate such unnecessary delays,” said the official.

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[Hindustani78]

AGARTALA , October 21, 2017 23:16 IST
Updated: October 21, 2017 23:16 IST
http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...n-bsf-officer-attack-case/article19898407.ece

He had gone to the Bangladesh border to nab smugglers
The Tripura police made a second arrest on Saturday in connection with the fatal attack on a senior Border Security Force officer who later succumbed to his injuries. They had earlier arrested the driver of the vehicle that knocked down Deepak Kumar Mandal, Deputy Commandant of the 145th battalion, in the early hours of Monday at Balerdepha in the smuggling-prone Sonamura subdivision of Sepahijala district.

“We earlier arrested Mamun Mia, the driver of the vehicle. We have arrested another accused person, Russel Mia, in connection with the attack,” said a police officer.

Murder charge

The police have now added murder charge (Section 302 of the IPC) in the FIR that was registered by the BSF on the day of the incident. Around 20 unknown attackers were mentioned in the case.

Mandal, who was the officiating Commandant of the 145th battalion, was accompanied only by a personal security guard when he went to Balerdepha on the Bangladesh border to challenge smugglers who had gathered on both sides to smuggle cattle into the neighbouring country under the cover of darkness.

The vehicle hit Mandal from behind and he collapsed on the road. His guard opened fire from his automatic weapon, forcing the smugglers to flee. Mandal was airlifted to Kolkata after his condition deteriorated but succumbed to severe head injuries.

 

[Hindustani78]

Photo used for representative purposes only. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

http://www.thehindu.com/news/nation...-along-indo-bangla-border/article19901729.ece


5.32 lakh heads of cattle valued at about ₹350 crore have been seized since 2014
Two Border Security Force (BSF) personnel have been killed, allegedly by cattle smugglers along the India-Bangladesh border, over the past two months. Tushar Kanti Das died on September 14 at an outpost near Angrail in West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas district, while Dipak Modal from the Tripura Frontier BSF succumbed to injuries he sustained in an attack on October 16.

The two deaths are an indication that cattle smuggling along the international border is a major challenge for security personnel guarding the border. An analysis of cattle seized along the India Bangladesh border reveals that there has been no significant drop in cattle smuggling since 2014.

Answers tabled by the Home Ministry on March 28, 2017, in response to questions raised by Members of Parliament in the Lok Sabha, revealed that 1,09,999 heads of cattle were seized in 2014, 1,53,602in 2015 and 1,68,801 in 2016.

For the first nine months of 2017, till September 30, 99,744 heads of cattle were seized along this border. Senior officials of the BSF said that the numbers for all of 2017 may be somewhere between 1.3 lakh to 1.4 lakh heads of cattle seized.

Bucking the trend

There is one stretch of border that bucks this trend. Of the 1,09,999 heads of cattle seized in 2014, 1,01,751 (about 92%) were from the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier (SBF). But by 2017, cattle seized along the SBF had dropped to 43% of the total number of cattle heads seized — 43,597 of the 99,774 cattle heads seized in the entire eastern theatre.

BSF’s SBF, which extends from West Bengal’s Sunderbans to Malda is considered most porous and vulnerable to cross border smuggling. Of the 918-km border, only a third is fenced and large parts of about 360 km is riverine, where rivers flowing between the two countries serve as the international border.

Could the fall in numbers of cattle smuggled along this stretch indicate a change in smuggling routes, with smuggling activities shifting the north and northeast? Some numbers appear to indicate this.

In 2014, 6,651 heads of cattle were seized along the BSF’s North Bengal Frontier (NBF), which rose to 16,020 heads of cattle in 2016, and 11,542 heads of cattle till September 2017.

Officials of BSF’s NBF said many seizures were made along the national highway leading to Assam, a few kilometres off the border.

Till 2014, hardly any cattle heads were seized from the northeast, but the figures now indicate that almost 40% of cattle heads were seized from the northeast.

India shares a 4,096-km border with Bangladesh along the States of West Bengal (the longest at 2,216 km), followed by Tripura (856 km). The other States sharing borders with Bangladesh are Meghalaya (443 km), Mizoram (318 km) and Assam (263 km). Each State in the northeast has a dedicated BSF Frontier for managing security along the border. Illegal trade of cattle remains huge in terms of the numbers of cattle heads seized. “It is impossible to stop cattle smuggling as the margin of profit is very high and locals on both sides of the border benefit economically from it. It is like a cat and mouse game — you have increased surveillance at some spot and the smugglers try other places,” a senior BSF officer said.

High margins

The margin for one smuggled cattle head may be as high as ₹10,000-₹15,000, depending on the size of cattle. Figures indicate that over 5.32 lakh heads of cattle valued at valuing about ₹350 crore have been seized along the eastern theater since 2014. Along the SBF alone, over 3.25 lakh units of cattle valued at ₹200 crore have been seized since 2014.

 

[Hindustani78]

//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/61533913.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

A total of 14 officers from the Bangladesh Army and 20 Officers from the Indian Army are taking part in the event.



GUWAHATI: The seventh annual bilateral exercise Indo-Bangladesh Command, as part of Exercise SAMPRITI 2017, kick started on Monday at Joint Training centre, Umroi in Meghalaya.

The programme is being organised by the Red Horns Division of the elite Gajraj Corps. The exercise will continue till November 11.

According to army exercise SAMPRITI is an Indo-Bangladesh Joint Training Exercise held alternately in India and Bangladesh every year with an aim to build and promote positive relations between the armies of the two countries.

It also aims to enhance interoperability between the two nations and enrich from each other's experience while carrying out Counter insurgency/ counter Terrorist operations, the menace from which both the nations are severely affected.

A total of 14 officers from the Bangladesh Army and 20 Officers from the Indian Army are taking part in the event.

Suneet Newton, Public Relation Officer (Defence) Guwahati/Shillong said, "The Indo-Bangladesh Joint Training Exercise SAMPRITI 2017 in its seventh edition will send a strong signal to the world that both India and Bangladesh understand the emerging threat of transnational terrorism and stand shoulder to shoulder united in countering this menace."

 

[BDforever]

//economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/61533913.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst

A total of 14 officers from the Bangladesh Army and 20 Officers from the Indian Army are taking part in the event.



GUWAHATI: The seventh annual bilateral exercise Indo-Bangladesh Command, as part of Exercise SAMPRITI 2017, kick started on Monday at Joint Training centre, Umroi in Meghalaya.

The programme is being organised by the Red Horns Division of the elite Gajraj Corps. The exercise will continue till November 11.

According to army exercise SAMPRITI is an Indo-Bangladesh Joint Training Exercise held alternately in India and Bangladesh every year with an aim to build and promote positive relations between the armies of the two countries.

It also aims to enhance interoperability between the two nations and enrich from each other's experience while carrying out Counter insurgency/ counter Terrorist operations, the menace from which both the nations are severely affected.

A total of 14 officers from the Bangladesh Army and 20 Officers from the Indian Army are taking part in the event.

Suneet Newton, Public Relation Officer (Defence) Guwahati/Shillong said, "The Indo-Bangladesh Joint Training Exercise SAMPRITI 2017 in its seventh edition will send a strong signal to the world that both India and Bangladesh understand the emerging threat of transnational terrorism and stand shoulder to shoulder united in countering this menace."

ok but why does it have BGB-BSF picture in the report ?

 

[Hindustani78]

Indian and Bangladeshi soldiers at a joint training camp at Bihar Regimental Center (BRC) in Danapur, Patna on Monday.

 

[Hindustani78]

The Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh, Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq paying homage at Amar Jawan Jyoti, India Gate, in New Delhi on December 07, 2017.

The Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh, Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq inspecting the Guard of Honour, in New Delhi on December 07, 2017.

The Chief of Army Staff, Bangladesh, Gen. Abu Belal Muhammad Shafiul Huq meeting the Chief of Army Staff, General Bipin Rawat, in New Delhi on December 07, 2017.

Ministry of Home Affairs
07-December, 2017 18:11 IST
Border Protection Grid to be set up in Border States, says Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh

The Union Home Minister Shri Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting with the Chief Ministers of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) States, in Kolkata today The Home Minister, giving highest priority to making borders secure, had earlier conducted border specific review meetings for Indo-China, Indo-Myanmar, Indo-Pakistan borders.

In the meeting, the Home Minister underlined the need for securing the country’s borders and putting in place the systems to facilitate legitimate trade and commerce. He added, India has friendly relations with Bangladesh and all these measures will facilitate genuine trade and legitimate cross-border movement of people while curbing radicalization, illegal migration, and smuggling of cattle, fake Indian currency notes and drugs etc. He stressed on the need to prevent entry, at International borders, of illegal migrants some of whom have links with extremist groups for furthering anti-national activities with ulterior motives and posing threat to internal security.

In the comprehensive review meeting of border management, he emphasized the need to fast track border infrastructure development and to strengthen border security.

The Indo-Bangladesh Border covering 5 states of India including Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal is 4096 km long. So far in 3006 km border security infrastructure of fence, roads, floodlights and border out posts (BOPs) are in place and works in the remaining 1090 km are yet to be started. Out of this, 684 km will be secured with fence and the related infrastructure, and the balance 406 km with the non-physical barriers. Although bulk of the infrastructure is in place or under construction, construction in some parts is yet to commence mainly due to land acquisition issues. The Home Minister urged the Chief Ministers to take personal interest to expedite land acquisition in the interest of national security. They assured to make land available at the earliest.

The areas to be covered by non-physical barriers are those where fencing is not feasible like rivers or nullahs etc. In these areas technological solutions of a networked combination of electronic gadgets like radar, day-night cameras, various types of sensors etc. all integrated in a command and control architecture will be used.

He highlighted the concept of Border Protection Grid (BPG) for multi-pronged and foolproof mechanism to secure our border. The grid will comprise of various elements namely physical barriers, non-physical barriers, surveillance system, Intelligence agencies, State Police, BSF and other State and Central agencies. BPG will be supervised by a State level Standing Committee under the Chairmanship of respective Chief Secretaries. BPG will ensure greater help for the States in the overall border security. For putting in place the BPG, he sought active participation of all stakeholders including State Governments.

The Home Minister said that the people living in the border areas are our strategic asset and need to be provided with all the infrastructure and socio-economic development facilities. He emphasized the importance and necessity of improved infrastructure such as roads, railways, health and education etc. and also boosting border economy in the border areas in a holistic and comprehensive manner. He asked the State Governments that while the Home Ministry was working to supplement their efforts, they must pay greater attention to these areas.

While appreciating the role of BSF for their unshakeable courage, skills, determination and dedication in securing this border, Shri Rajnath Singh reiterated that they should be more vigilant. He expressed satisfaction over the active participation and assurance of all cooperation given by the states.

The meeting was attended by Minister of State (Home Affairs) Shri Kiren Rijiju, Chief Ministers of West Bengal, Assam and Mizoram, Union Home Secretary, Secretary (Border Management), MHA, DG BSF, Chief Secretary Meghalaya, Secretary, Home, Tripura.

Senior officers of MHA and other Ministries of Government of India besides State Governments also attended.

*****
The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh being received by the Chief Minister of West Bengal, Ms. Mamata Banerjee, in Kolkata, West Bengal on December 07, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh briefing the media after chairing a meeting with the Chief Ministers and representatives of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) States, in Kolkata, West Bengal on December 07, 2017.

The Union Home Minister, Shri Rajnath Singh chairing a meeting with the Chief Ministers and representatives of the Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB) States, in Kolkata, West Bengal on December 07, 2017.

 

[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Home Affairs

06-February, 2018 16:38 IST



Border fencing

All feasible stretches along International borders with Pakistan and Bangladesh have been approved for erection of barbed wire fence. In addition, a stretch of 10 km has also been approved for erection of fence on border with Myanmar.

The area of responsibility of 382 BOPs located along Indo-Bangladesh Border and Indo-Pakistan Border have been assessed as vulnerable on the basis of incidents of crimes related to cattle smuggling, phensedyl smuggling, FICN smuggling, illegal migration and attacks on BSF personnel by miscreants.

The Government has adopted a multi-pronged approach for security arrangements at the Indo-Pakistan Border (IPB) and Indo-Bangladesh Border (IBB). The arrangements include deployment of Border Security Force (BSF), construction of border fence, construction of border roads, installation of floodlights, construction of border out posts (BOPs), introduction of Hi-Tech surveillance equipments, providing weapons and Specialised Vehicles to Security Forces, etc.

The total sanctioned length of fence along Indo-Bangladesh border is 3326 Km out of which 2746.44 Km has been completed and the balance ‘ongoing’ work on encumbrance free stretches of land is targeted for completion by March, 2019.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijuju in a written reply to question in the Lok Sabha today.



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Ministry of Home Affairs
07-February, 2018 16:46 IST
Status of Fencing work along Indo-Bangladesh Border

Out of the 3326 km of sanctioned length of fence along Indo-Bangladesh Border, 2746.44 km has been completed. The land acquisition process on Indo-Bangladesh Border is time consuming and cumbersome due to which the progress has been slow. In addition to pending land acquisition, limited working seasons due to heavy rainfall, extended rainy season in the North-Eastern parts of the country and difficult terrain conditions have been affecting the pace of the work.

The Government has adopted a multipronged approach for security arrangements at the borders to tackle illegal influx of immigrants including Rohingyas. The arrangements include deployment of Border Guarding Force (BGF), construction of border fence, construction of border roads, installation of floodlights, construction of Border Out Posts (BOPs), introduction of Hi-tech surveillance equipments, besides identifying vulnerable BOPs, etc.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Home Affairs, Shri Kiren Rijiju in a written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha today.



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[Hindustani78]

Ministry of Commerce & Industry
12-February, 2018 14:33 IST
Commerce Secretary level meeting between India and Bangladesh held on 7th -8th February 2018 at Dhaka, Bangladesh

India-Bangladesh bilateral talks, at the level of Commerce Secretary, were held on 7th-8th February 2018 at Dhaka. The Indian delegation was led by Ms. Rita Teaotia, Commerce Secretary and the Bangladesh delegation was headed by Shri Shubhashish Bose, Secretary, Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh.

The two sides held extensive and productive discussions on a variety of issues concerning bilateral trade and economic relations, including development and up-gradation of infrastructure at border trading points, further expansion of the Border Haats of the two countries, identification and resolution of non-tariff issues affecting bilateral trade, regional connectivity under BBIN MVA and ease of investment.

Both sides agreed to explore the possibilities to further enhance bilateral trade relations and cooperation in fields such as export promotion and capacity building on trade related matters. Commerce secretaries of both sides also discussed the of establishment of an institutional B2B mechanism to provide policy level inputs on trade and investment.

The next bilateral meeting will be held in New Delhi at a mutually convenient date.

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