Border Guards Seize ₹12,120 Cr
Border guards have intensified efforts to clamp down on smuggling and trafficking activities along the India-Bangladesh border, seizing items worth a staggering ₹12,120 crore since 2020. Official data reveals that nearly 70% of these seizures were made from this particular border, highlighting the significance of this frontier in combating illicit activities.
In a recent development, border guards from both India and Bangladesh have pledged to enhance coordination in their night patrols around villages along the international boundary. This initiative aims to not only reduce smuggling but also combat human trafficking and prevent attacks on security personnel by transborder criminals. A nine-member team led by Nitin Agarwal, director general of the Border Security Force (BSF), engaged in discussions with top officials of the Border Guards Bangladesh in Dhaka from March 5-9 to strategize on these efforts.
Emphasizing the importance of a Coordinated Border Management Plan, both sides have agreed to share real-time information and investigation reports of traffickers. Additionally, measures will be taken to aid victims of human trafficking and facilitate their rescue and rehabilitation in accordance with the law.
Regular meetings between the chiefs of the border security forces in India and Bangladesh are held twice a year, serving as crucial platforms for collaboration. Cattle and drug smuggling remain prevalent crimes along the India-Bangladesh frontier, often leading to confrontations between BSF personnel and border villagers in Bangladesh.
Apart from addressing transborder crimes, the two forces have also reached agreements on construction projects along the border. Discussions have included developmental work within 150 yards of the international border, with plans for six projects on each side. Furthermore, as a goodwill gesture, BSF has agreed to a Border Guards Bangladesh proposal for constructing memorials to honor 18 martyred freedom fighters at Tamabil and Sylhet in Bangladesh.
With concerted efforts from both sides, authorities are determined to make the India-Bangladesh border region safer and more secure, ensuring the protection of both citizens and security personnel.
