BGB remains alert at frontiers: Home Adviser

Home Adviser Lieutenant General (retd) M Jahangir Alam Chowdhury today said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) remains alert at the Bangladesh-India frontiers.

"Recently, India has started constructing barbed wire fences at five places on the border areas . . . But they were forced to stop working at those places due to the strong stance of BGB and locals," he said.

The home adviser was speaking to journalists at a press briefing at the Bangladesh Secretariat office here.

He also thanked the residents of the bordering districts for joining the BGB to protest against the construction of fences at the frontier.

Replying to a query, the adviser said, "We have a lot of strength at the border. The BGB is in contact with the Indian Border Security Force (BSF) to deal with the emerging situation."

He said, "People along with BGB are also resisting . . . The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has already been informed about this to ensure that no untoward incident occurs. They will take prompt diplomatic action in this regard".

It has been decided to issue a letter to cancel all the unequal understandings regarding the border-fencing during the previous government, he added.

The adviser said that the DG-level meeting between the BGB and BSF to be held next month.

Jahangir said there are a total of four agreements signed between the two countries at different times regarding the demarcation of the border between Bangladesh and India.

He further said according to the Bangladesh-India Joint Border Guidelines-1975, there is a clear prohibition on completing any work with defense capabilities within 150 yards of the "Zero Line" of both the countries.

Besides, there is an obligation to take mutual consent for completing any development or construction work within 150 yards of the ‍‍`Zero Line‍‍` of both countries if necessary, the adviser mentioned.

Of the existing 4,156 km border between Bangladesh and India, the Indian authorities have installed barbed wire fences at 3,271 km and barbed wire fences have not been constructed at 885 km, he added.
Special Assistant to the Chief Adviser M Khuda Baksh Chowdhury, Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baharul Alam and BGB Director General (DG) Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui were present.