BSF tightens watch along border

The BSF held meetings on Tuesday with state government officials and villagers in the border areas of West Bengal to ramp up security following the ongoing unrest in Bangladesh.

BSF Director General (Acting) Daljit Singh Chawdhary and other senior commanders, who are presently touring the bordering areas of the state to review the security situation, visited the Petrapole border in Bongaon in North 24-Parganas district.

South Asia’s largest land port is in Petrapole, which is key to facilitating trade between India and Bangladesh.

“The situation is presently under control. The security along the entire stretch has been strengthened. We are in touch with Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) for better coordination. The DG BSF and other senior officials, visited the Petrapole border,” a BSF official of the eastern command told PTI.

According to BSF, a “high alert” was issued across all its formations on Monday along the 4,096-km India-Bangladesh border in the wake of developments in the neighbouring country.

“The BSF officers held a coordination meeting with the state government officials and people of border villages to establish coordination with border communities and local officials. The discussion focused on the prevailing situation in Bangladesh and the Bangladeshi Army taking over. The BSF emphasised the need for vigilance to prevent infiltration and smuggling,” a BSF statement said.

According to BSF officials, the villagers have been advised not to move freely in the border areas and on the International Border Road during night hours.

“It was also decided that all shops in the market should be closed by 9 pm and announcements would be made from mosques that villagers should stay away from the border areas in Nadia district,” the statement added.

The BSF has also asked all its units to “maintain an alert posture” all along the front that runs across West Bengal (2,217 km), Tripura (856 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Assam (262 km) and Mizoram (318 km).