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A Glimpse Of The Indo-Bangladesh Border And The Sentinels «
Who says you can't rest your feet on a long foot patrol? A Border Security Force soldier atop the Border Pillar no 1063 somewhere in the Indo-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya
India shares its longest border with Bangladesh. This 4351 Kms long border stretches along 5 Indian states, namely West Bengal (2217 Kms), Assam (262 Kms), Meghalaya (443 Kms), Tripura (856 Kms) and Mizoram (318 Kms). 781 Kms of this border is riverine.
This long Indo-Bangladesh border is guarded by the Border Security Force (BSF), an Indian central paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs. The BSF has about 46 battalions deployed along this border divided into formations controlled by 5 Frontier Head Quarters: South Bengal Frontier HQ, North Bengal Frontier HQ, Assam-Meghalaya Frontier HQ, Mizoram-Cachar Frontier HQ and Tripura Frontier HQ, each headed by an Inspector General. Under each Frontier HQs are Sector HQs each headed by a Deputy Inspector General.
The Assam-Meghalaya Frontier HQ shall soon be bifurcated into the Assam Frontier HQ and Meghalaya Frontier HQ and new sectors curved out and new battalions raised to enhance force structure and improve border management.
The border is guarded on the side of Bangladesh by its paramilitary force the Border Guards Bangladesh (BGB). BGB is the erstwhile Bangladesh Rifles (BDR) which has been re-raised in this new form after the infamous 2009 mutiny by the BDR. Its battalions are deployed along the border across 12 sectors.
A large stretch of the Indo-Bangladesh border has already been fenced off by India, primarily to prevent illegal immigration from Bangladesh as well as infiltration of non-state elements inimical to India which had earlier found sanctuary in Bangladesh, including several insurgent groups of India's North East. The border fence, due to treaty obligations, has not been constructed on the 'O' line, where the actual border lies, but 150 yards or more inside Indian territory, as necessitated by terrain and other deciding factors. The several areas of the border, which had been in dispute, has now been surveyed and demarcated for settlement by the recently concluded treaty between the two countries.
The Indo-Bangladesh border fence under construction at a sector.
A BSF watch tower.
A glimpse of the border with verdant green paddy fields on both sides. Bangladesh starts just on the far side of the fence.
Another view of the border.