Bangladesh plans barbed wire fencing along sensitive borders: Salahuddin

Bangladesh has taken an initiative to build barbed wire fences along sensitive border including the Myanmar border areas to prevent cross-border crimes, including killings, illegal entry, drug trafficking and arms smuggling, Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed told Parliament on Wednesday.

He made the statement while responding to questions from lawmakers during the question-answer session of the Jatiya Sangsad.

The minister said fencing initiatives have been taken to prevent killings, infiltration, drug smuggling, arms trafficking and other transnational crimes along the Myanmar border. Plans to construct fences at vulnerable points along the Indian border are also under consideration.

Responding to a question, Salahuddin said that since August 5, 2024, the Border Security Force (BSF) of India attempted to push in 2,369 people into Bangladesh. Of them, 11 were handed over to the BSF, while 183 people were pushed back and the remaining individuals were sent to police stations.

He said the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) had prevented 36 push-in attempts by the BSF after the West Bengal Assembly election.

The minister also described the killing of Bangladeshi civilians by BSF members along the border as deeply regrettable and a clear violation of human rights. He said the issue has been strongly raised during director general-level border talks between BGB and BSF.

He added that no formal agreement has been reached regarding direct financial compensation from the Indian government to families of those killed by BSF firing. 

Salahuddin informed Parliament that smuggled goods worth Tk 1,979.53 crore were seized between June 2025 and May 31, 2026 and a total of 2,189 people were arrested in connection with these seizures.

He said the Department of Narcotics Control arrested 9,685 alleged drug traders in 9,251 cases between February 17 and May 31.

TZ