In what may cheer many in Assam, newly sworn-in Chief Minister of Assam Sarbananda Sonowal has asked the Border Security Force (BSF) to ensure sealing the porous Indo-Bangladesh border on a war footing.
The Chief Minister said this while chairing a high-level meeting with BSF Director General KK Sharma and urged the border sentinels to ensure erection of fencing expeditiously for a safe and secure border with the neighbouring country.
It may be mentioned here that India and Bangladesh share over 4,000 kms of International Border — also the fifth-longest land border in the world —which falls under the jurisdiction of five Indian States — Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Mizoram and West Bengal. While West Bengal has the highest length of Indo-Bangla border with 2,217 km, Assam has 262 kms of International Border with Bangladesh, which is guarded by the BSF.
The Chief Minister has also asked the BSF to make use of ‘smart technological solutions’ like laser walls and surveillance gadgets to keep security at the frontiers at all times. The Chief Minister also asked the BSF to remove all challenges coming in the way of ensuring a secured border at the earliest.
“Erection of fencing along the border including ‘riverine’ areas has to be dealt with resolutely if we want to make our borders safe. It is a part of our pledge that we will completely seal International Border with Bangladesh in order to keep infiltration and smuggling from across the border at bay,” Sonowal said.
Terming the BSF’s patrolling the Indo-Bangladesh border as a challenging job, Sonowal assured all help from the Government including technological solutions to seal border and keep the State free from infiltration. It may be mentioned here that Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had on Friday asked the BSF to be more alert and vigilant to prevent cow smuggling along the Indo-Bangla border and asserted that the criminal activity across the International border has to stop.
It may be mentioned here that the BJP, who came to power in Assam for the first time in the just concluded polls, have prioritized sealing of Indo-Bangladesh border in its poll agenda and aggressively campaigned promising that only a BJP Government can seal the Indo-Bangladesh border.