Envoy called over India, B’desh border fence row

Bangladesh expressed concern to India's envoy over border fencing, urging adherence to bilateral agreements amid rising tensions and border clashes.

Bangladesh on Sunday expressed “deep concern” to India’s envoy over border fencing work, prompting the Indian high commissioner to insist that Dhaka implement understandings on border management struck between the two side.

Bangladesh has said that the fence work violates bilateral agreements. (Prawesh Lama/HT Photo)

The exchange took place during a 30-minute meeting in Dhaka, where Bangladesh’s foreign secretary Mohammad Jashim Uddin conveyed his government’s objections to Indian high commissioner Pranay Verma over what the former termed “unauthorised” fencing attempts by India’s Border Security Force (BSF).

Emerging from the meeting, Verma told reporters: “We have an understanding with regard to fencing the border for security. BSF and BGB have been in communication in this regard. We expect that understandings will be implemented and there will be cooperative approach to combating crime”.

Tensions along the border have been simmering since an interim government took over in Dhaka after the exit of former PM Sheikh Hasina following protests. The Border Security Force (BSF) has moved to deter Bangladeshi smugglers, while Dhaka contended India had violated bilateral agreements by attempting to build fencing at five locations along their shared border.

The escalation is marked in recent days by a series of violent confrontations with smugglers and disputes over fence construction

Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) has opposed BSF construction at “6-7 different places where construction was mutually agreed upon” under the previous government, a senior BSF officer in South Bengal frontier said on condition of anonymity.

The foreign secretary emphasised that “construction of barbed wire fences without proper authorisation undermines the spirit of cooperation and friendly relations between the two neighbouring countries.”

Jashim Uddin also referred to the alleged killing of a Bangladeshi citizen at Sunamganj by BSF and expressed “deep concern and disappointment over such repetition of border killings”. He called for urgent action by Indian authorities to stop the recurrence of such incidents and said it is a matter of concern that such incidents have been continuing despite the Indian side’s commitment to pursue a “non-lethal strategy”.

On January 11, BSF personnel fired in self-defence at border outpost Nawada after “15-20 Bangladeshi smugglers used powerful torch lights to blind jawans and attacked jawans with swords and sharp objects,” officials said. The smugglers fled when Indian reinforcements arrived.

The same night, BSF had to fire stun grenades and take defensive action at multiple locations when armed smugglers attempted to breach the border. The incidents occurred at Nandanpur and Farjipara outposts in Murshidabad district’s Berhampur sector, and at Harinathpur and Churiyantpur outposts in Malda district, the official added.

At another location in Malda, BSF officials said construction plans were shared “more than 4 years ago” for a single-row fence within 150 meters of the border pillar. “After approvals, the actual construction work always takes time,” a BSF officer said, describing confrontations between villagers from both sides.

The tensions reflect deeper historical grievances. Earlier on Sunday, Bangladesh’s home affairs adviser Lt Gen (retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury spoke to reporters in Dhaka and blamed “unequal agreements” signed by the previous government for current border disputes, citing 160 fencing-related conflicts between 2010 and 2023, PTI reported.

He pointed to complications around the Tin Bigha Corridor agreement, contending that “under the 1974 agreement, Bangladesh handed over Berubari to India after parliamentary ratification.” While India was supposed to provide corridor access in return, Chowdhury said it failed to fulfil this commitment or ratify the agreement in its parliament.

“They used to open the corridor for an hour and then close it for another hour. Finally, in 2010, an agreement was reached to keep the corridor open 24 hours. However, this agreement also allowed India to construct a border fence on the zero line at Angarpota, violating the 150-yard rule,” he said.

The dispute comes against the backdrop of strained bilateral relations following Bangladesh’s formation of a caretaker government led by Nobel laureate Muhammad Yunus last August. India has expressed concerns about the targeting of Bangladesh’s Hindu minority amid emerging differences on several issues.

Uddin called for resolution through “constructive dialogue” while urging Indian authorities to “refrain from any provocative actions that could escalate tensions.” He stressed such issues should be handled “in accordance with existing bilateral agreements, and in a way that upholds peace and tranquility along the border.”

Senior officers from both forces have maintained communication through flag meetings despite ground tensions. BSF and BGB commanders met January 9 for an “informal pre scheduled meeting” in North 24 Parganas, though their bi-annual Director General-level talks remain delayed since Bangladesh’s political transition. Bangladesh officials had requested postponement citing the domestic law-and-order situation.