Bangladesh unrest: BSF asks villagers in WB to stay clear of border areas
A senior officer of the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier said that the villagers living in the bordering areas were briefed about the situation in Bangladesh after the change of power and the Bangladeshi army taking over
Kolkata: Villagers living along the Indo-Bangla border in West Bengal have been asked to stay clear of the Indo-Bangladesh international border in the wake of political unrest and violent protests in Bangladesh, officials said.
BSF officials familiar with the matter said that the shops along the border have been asked to close down by 9pm. Announcements would be made from local mosques and temples asking people to stay clear of border areas, many sections of which are still unfenced, said an official.
“Villagers are locking themselves up at homes after 9pm and not going near the border anymore. The BSF has asked villagers to stay clear from the international border at night. Shops have been asked to close down by 9 pm,” said Shanu Mondal, a local resident of Baranberia.
The village market at Bhatamtala, from where the border road takes off and then runs for a few kilometres along the international border, is now shutting down by 8pm, officials said. Earlier some of the shops including the lone sweet shop, two tea stalls, the quack’s chamber and a village grocery store, used to remain open till late at night.
BSF’s 8 battalion and 107 battalion of the South Bengal Frontier held a coordination meeting with villagers and the district administration at Baranberia, a border outpost in Nadia district, around 100 km north of Kolkata.
Also Read: India pulls out non-essential staff and families from its mission in Dhaka
A senior officer of the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier said that the villagers living in the bordering areas were briefed about the situation in Bangladesh after the change of power and the Bangladeshi army taking over.
They have been asked to stay vigilant to prevent infiltration and smuggling activities and have been asked not to move freely in the border areas and on the International Border Road (IBBR) during the night, the senior officer added.
“The farmers were instructed to use the gate only for essential work and were assured of immediate assistance from the BSF if required,” the BSF said in a statement.
The BSF has issued an alert and deployed additional troops along the Indo-Bangla border following the political turmoil in neighbouring Bangladesh on Monday.
The Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is the longest and one of the most porous international borders in the country.
Of the 4096.7 km long border, West Bengal alone shares 2,216 km with Bangladesh. In south Bengal, the border is more than 900 km long, out of which nearly 60% is riverine.
Infiltration bids, smuggling of items such as gold and drugs, and human trafficking are common in multiple pockets along this border in south Bengal.
“These issues, such as management of tall crops in border areas, jute dumping by civilians near the border, civilian movement on border roads after curfew, and land acquisition for fencing in unfenced areas, were also discussed in the meeting with villagers and government officials from the district administration,” said the official.
Top BSF officials, including Daljit Singh Chaudhary, director general of the BSF, have been visiting border areas in south Bengal over the past two days to review the operational preparedness and strategic deployment of troops.
On Tuesday, Chaudhury visited some of the floating outposts in the Sunderban delta.
Bangladesh has been in turmoil for the past few weeks. Its Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned on Monday amidst the nationwide public demonstrations seeking the ouster of her Awami League government. The army has taken responsibility for running the country till an interim government, led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus, is formed.
Nearly 140 people have been killed in violence after Hasina’s resignation, taking the death toll since last month to almost 450.