Drones to strengthen security, surveillance along remote borders: Home minister
Salahuddin says maintaining security through manpower alone is difficult in remote and heavily forested border areas.
BGB personnel are receiving specialised training in border surveillance and drone warfare at the newly established Shimanto School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare, as modern drone technology is expected to strengthen monitoring in remote and forested border areas, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said today (1 September).
He made the remarks at a press briefing after inaugurating the Shimanto School of Surveillance and Drone Warfare at Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) headquarters in Sylhet.
He said drones equipped with night-vision and thermal technologies would enable round-the-clock surveillance and help detect routes used for smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal arms.
The training programme will later be expanded to civilian personnel, while advanced drone technologies from different countries will be incorporated within the next one to two years, he added.
Keep updated, follow The Business Standard's Google news channel
Salahuddin said maintaining security through manpower alone is difficult in remote and heavily forested border areas. Drones equipped with night-vision and thermal technologies will enable round-the-clock surveillance and help monitor activities and identify routes used for smuggling, drug trafficking and illegal arms, he said.
The minister said drones are also being used in natural disasters and humanitarian operations. BGB personnel recently used them in rescue operations in remote areas of the Chittagong Hill Tracts and to deliver relief to inaccessible locations.
