Sun Feb 02 05:00:00 IST 2025: ## India-Bangladesh Border Fencing Disputes Escalate Amidst Ongoing Tensions

**Kolkata, West Bengal, February 2, 2025** – Tensions are rising along the India-Bangladesh border, fueled by disagreements over the completion of border fencing. While India has fenced approximately 78% (3196.705 km) of the 4,096 km border, significant disparities exist across different states. Progress has been hampered by challenging terrain, riverine borders, and resistance from border populations whose access to land could be restricted.

The issue came to a head following a regime change in Bangladesh last August. Bangladesh alleges that fencing has caused tensions at five border locations, while India maintains its commitment to a secure and crime-free border. A Ministry of Home Affairs report highlights the uneven fencing progress, with some frontiers exceeding 80% completion while others lag below 50%. The South Bengal Frontier, for example, has only 44% of its 913 km border fenced due to the challenges posed by the riverine Sundarbans.

The 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines dictate a 150-yard buffer zone on either side of the border, with restrictions on permanent structures and the need for mutual agreement on fencing within this zone. Recent disputes arise from disagreements on fencing within this area, with the BSF alleging that the BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh) has not honored prior agreements.

Despite these challenges, BSF Director General Daljit Singh Chawdhary assures that unfenced areas do not automatically translate to increased infiltration. Technological solutions, including floodlights, cameras, and drones, are employed to monitor these sections. While political rhetoric in West Bengal continues to criticize border management, the state government has approved land allocation for further fencing.

Both countries have engaged in simultaneous coordinating patrols (SCPs) and held numerous border meetings to address the situation. The issue is set to be a key discussion point at the upcoming Director General-level talks between the BSF and BGB from February 16-20. While both sides have shown restraint, the uneven progress of fencing and differing interpretations of the 1975 agreement continue to fuel tensions along this crucial border.

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