BSF orders ‘high alert’ along Bangladesh border; DG visits front

New Delhi/Kolkata, Aug 5 (PTI) The Border Security Force (BSF) on Monday issued a “high alert” across all its formations along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of the developments in the neighbouring country, officials said.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders toured the front in West Bengal to review the security situation. The DG landed in Kolkata around 10.30 AM on a flight from Delhi.

Chawdhary along with senior officers toured the remote North 24 Paraganas district and the Sunderbans riverine area to review preparations, an spokesperson for the South Bengal Frontier of the force headquartered in Kolkata said.

The force has directed all its field commanders to be “on ground” and “deploy all personnel on border duty immediately as part of the high alert,” a senior officer told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

The South Bengal frontier spokesperson said, “In view of the changed situation in Bangladesh, the BSF has issued alert all along Indo-Bangladesh border and the number of troops deployed along the border has been increased.”

He added, “The DG was apprised of the role of BSF in maintaining national security along the sensitive international border.”

The BSF chief is expected to be in the region for the next few days.

A Delhi-based BSF spokesperson said the “situation on the Bangladesh border is normal as of now.”

“Troops are aware and alert about the recent development and situation across the IB is being closely monitored to deal any unforeseen situation,” he said.

A senior officer said that “leave of all personnel posted along the Bangladesh border was cancelled in the last few weeks after Bangladesh witnessed massive protests and now all units have been asked to acquire a high alert posture.”

The force, a senior officer in the eastern command said, is concerned about a “jump in illegal crossing and a step up in cross-border crimes in the wake of the emerging situation.”

The BSF commanders are in contact with their counterparts from the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB), he said.

All land custom stations (LCS) and integrated check posts (ICPs) along this front are on alert and civilian movement has been restricted, the officer said.

Till July 22, about 2,894 Indian students studying in Bangladesh had crossed over to India, while another about 3,000 students are expected to come now, another officer said.

The BSF guards the Indian front on the eastern flank of the country that runs along five states and it has deployed as many as 87 battalions comprising about 90,000 troops. West Bengal shares a total of 2,217 kilometres of its border with Bangladesh, along with Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).

Sheikh Hasina on Monday resigned as prime minister of Bangladesh and left the country, several news reports said, amid massive protests against her government that claimed more than 106 lives in the last two days.

Her military aircraft landed at the Hindon air force base near Delhi late evening.