Bangladesh, India identify 100 fresh stretches for erecting fences along border

High level talks between the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and India's Border Security Force (BSF) concluded on Friday, with both sides having mutually identified nearly 100 fresh areas that will receive border fencing, according to Indian ministry sources.

These new areas will be added to the ongoing fencing work between the two countries, says Telegraph India.

The two sides have also agreed to establish a communication line between the commanders of the border-guarding forces to "further the spirit of trust and cordial relations" amid the border tension between India and Bangladesh.

There was a flare-up recently when the BGB attempted to obstruct the construction of a fence along the border in Malda.

The 4,096km Indo-Bangla frontier that runs through Bengal, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya and Mizoram has remained a longstanding source of disputes over barbed-wire fencing and border management.

"During the three-day talks that concluded on Thursday, both sides reached a consensus to erect fences along nearly 100 fresh border stretches, apart from continuing with the ongoing fencing work initiated by India," an official said.

The neighbours, he said, also agreed to establish a communication line between the deputy commanders of the BSF and the BGB "to enhance cordial relations and maintain peace and tranquility at the frontier".

The three-day bilateral talks were the first between the two frontier-guarding forces after the fall of the Sheikh Hasina government in August last year.

"The chiefs of the two forces also agreed to further strengthen joint patrolling and enhance vigil at night to crack down on cross-border crimes," the official said.

Sources said 864.48km of the frontier remained unfenced, including 174.51km of "non-feasible" gaps that include riverine stretches.

The new channel of communication will be set up between the additional director-general (ADG) of the BSF's eastern command based in Calcutta and his BGB counterpart posted at the force's headquarters in Dhaka, the sources said.

Now, "hotlines" exist between the chiefs of the two forces and officers of the ranks of the BSF inspector-general (regional commander for the BGB) and deputy inspector-general (sector commander for the BGB).

The communication lines are used to convey real-time information and intelligence so that issues related to the frontier and instances of cross-border crimes can be checked promptly.

The sources said the fencing of the new 100 patches, covering around 70-72km, would start following a joint inspection by the two sides. Fencing work at 92 other stretches covering 95.8km is in progress.

Bangladesh has long objected to the Indian fence, arguing that it is a violation of the 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities under which no defence structures can be built within 150 yards of the Zero Line of the international border. India maintains that its single-row fence along the border is not a "defence structure".