Home minister says fencing planned to curb cross-border crime along Myanmar frontier

The government has taken an initiative to install barbed-wire fencing along the Bangladesh-Myanmar border to prevent criminal activities, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has said.

On Wednesday, he also told parliament that similar fencing along the Bangladesh-India border is under consideration.

Salahuddin spoke of the development while responding to a question from Pabna-5 MP Shamsur Rahman Shimul Biswas during a parliament session led by Speaker Hafiz Uddin Ahmad.

The minister said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) is taking “coordinated” steps to safeguard national interests and reduce cross-border crime to “zero”.

He added that the BGB is maintaining a “zero tolerance” policy against the smuggling of yaba, crystal meth (ice), phensedyl, as well as illegal arms and ammunition.

Salahuddin said new border outposts (BOPs) and temporary outposts (TOBs) have been constructed in remote and sensitive areas, with further expansion planned.

This has reduced distances between BGB posts and increased patrol frequency, he added.

He also informed parliament that a “smart border surveillance system” has already been installed in highly sensitive areas of the country’s south-western and north-western borders.

Construction of border roads in remote hill regions is progressing rapidly, he said, adding that this has improved the mobility and response time of BGB patrol teams.

“We have taken initiatives to construct barbed-wire fencing along the Myanmar border to ensure security, prevent border killings, infiltration, and curb drug, arms and ammunition smuggling, as well as other cross-border crimes,” the minister said.

“Similarly, plans to construct fencing along sensitive areas of the India border are under consideration,” he added.

However, the minister did not provide details on the length of fencing, project cost, timeline, or specific sensitive stretches along the India border.