Sat Dec 07 15:55:56 UTC 2024: **BSF Deploys Personnel to Zero Line on Bangladesh Border in West Bengal**
KOLKATA, Dec 7, 2024 – The Border Security Force (BSF) has moved its personnel to the zero line along the India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district. This deployment, affecting three battalions along a lengthy stretch of char lands (riverine islands) along the Padma River, addresses a long-standing request from farmers. Previously, BSF forces were stationed several hundred meters inside Indian territory, requiring farmers to register for access to their lands.
The relocation, according to BSF DIG Anil Kumar Sinha, covers the area from Farakka to Kakmarichar. While some speculate that recent unrest in Bangladesh may have influenced the decision, the BSF emphasizes the move fulfills farmers’ needs. The lack of power and water infrastructure on the char lands had previously necessitated the inland deployment.
The BSF plans to begin surveying and erecting fences along the international border. Julfikar Ali, secretary of Murshidabad’s border development committee, lauded the change, citing benefits for thousands of farmers who will now access their lands freely. He highlighted a recent incident where two Indian nationals remain imprisoned in Bangladesh after crossing the border to work their fields. The 2,216-km India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal is overseen by three BSF frontiers.
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