BSF personnel keep vigil at the India-Bangladesh border at Chhatrahati, in Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The story so far: In January, India and Bangladesh exchanged words over security measures at the border, including issues around fencing, with both countries summoning diplomats and sending a message about protocols and past agreements.

What is the length of the border?

India shares its longest border with Bangladesh which is 4,096 km. After the regime change in Bangladesh last August, disputes have erupted at several places over border fencing. While Bangladeshi officials allege that tensions have arisen at five places along the border because of fencing, the Government of India has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a crime-free border.

How much of the border is fenced?

The annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the year 2023-24 points out that of the total length of the India-Bangladesh border of 4096.7 km, about 78% or 3196.705 km, has been fenced. India’s border with Bangladesh passes through five States — Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal — and is guarded by six frontiers of the Border Security Force (BSF): Assam Frontier, Meghalaya Frontier, Mizoram and Cachar Frontier, Tripura Frontier, North Bengal Frontier and South Bengal Frontier.

While in some frontiers over 80% of the border is fenced, in certain other areas the fencing has not even crossed 50%. For instance, in the Meghalaya Frontier, out of 443 km, 367 km (82.8 %) has been fenced whereas in the South Bengal Frontier which guards about 913 km from Sundarbans to Malda (in West Bengal) only about 405 km (44%) has been covered by fencing. The disparities in border fencing is because of the challenging terrain and habitations too close to the international border. For instance, 364 km of the 913 km of the border guarded by the South Bengal Frontier is riverine, with Ichamati and Padma serving as the international border between the two countries.

The Ministry of Home Affairs report notes that there have been some problems in the construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border. While the river and the chars (silt lands formed in and along the river) pose geographical challenges to erecting fences, sometimes the border population resists fencing as it can create obstacles in accessing their land close to the international border.

What is the protocol for border fencing?

The 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities states that after the identifiable boundary line, whether ‘real’ or ‘working’ has been fixed, neither side will have any permanent or temporary border security forces or any other armed personnel within 150 yards on either side of this line. “No permanent post will be constructed till the final demarcation has been done and the problem is resolved,” the agreement states.

In places where the border population is settled close to the international border and fencing is required within 150 yards, both countries have to mutually agree on it. Recently, disputes have emerged in such areas where the BSF authorities claim that their counterparts — Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) — had agreed on erecting fences but are not honouring the agreements made before August 2024.

Director General of BSF Daljit Singh Chawdhary said even if certain areas are unfenced along the border, it does not necessarily mean that infiltration or other cross-border activities are going on. He pointed out that wherever there are such gaps, technological solutions are used, like flood lights, cameras and drones.

What lies ahead?

There is a push from the Government of India to complete fencing on the remaining stretches. While the political rhetoric of accusing the BSF for lapses in border management by the ruling Trinamool Congress continues in West Bengal, at a policy level the State government agrees that there is a need for the border to be fenced. In January 2025, the West Bengal Cabinet approved the allocation of around 0.9 acres of land in Karimpur to the BSF for setting up fences.

Despite disputes emerging in the Malda Rajshahi and Cooch Behar Lalmonirhat border, border guards of both the countries have exercised restraint and held talks to ease the situation. “Since August 5, 2024, after the unrest in Bangladesh, BSF carried out many SCPs (simultaneous-coordinating patrolling) to keep vigil and held 643 border meetings with BGB,” a press statement by the BSF stated on December 1, 2024. The issue of border fencing is also likely to dominate the Director General-level talks between the BSF and BGB, scheduled to be held from February 16 to 20.

BSF personnel keep vigil at the India-Bangladesh border at Chhatrahati, in Dakshin Dinajpur district of West Bengal. File
| Photo Credit: PTI

The story so far: In January, India and Bangladesh exchanged words over security measures at the border, including issues around fencing, with both countries summoning diplomats and sending a message about protocols and past agreements.

What is the length of the border?

India shares its longest border with Bangladesh which is 4,096 km. After the regime change in Bangladesh last August, disputes have erupted at several places over border fencing. While Bangladeshi officials allege that tensions have arisen at five places along the border because of fencing, the Government of India has reiterated its commitment to ensuring a crime-free border.

How much of the border is fenced?

The annual report of the Ministry of Home Affairs for the year 2023-24 points out that of the total length of the India-Bangladesh border of 4096.7 km, about 78% or 3196.705 km, has been fenced. India’s border with Bangladesh passes through five States — Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Tripura and West Bengal — and is guarded by six frontiers of the Border Security Force (BSF): Assam Frontier, Meghalaya Frontier, Mizoram and Cachar Frontier, Tripura Frontier, North Bengal Frontier and South Bengal Frontier.

While in some frontiers over 80% of the border is fenced, in certain other areas the fencing has not even crossed 50%. For instance, in the Meghalaya Frontier, out of 443 km, 367 km (82.8 %) has been fenced whereas in the South Bengal Frontier which guards about 913 km from Sundarbans to Malda (in West Bengal) only about 405 km (44%) has been covered by fencing. The disparities in border fencing is because of the challenging terrain and habitations too close to the international border. For instance, 364 km of the 913 km of the border guarded by the South Bengal Frontier is riverine, with Ichamati and Padma serving as the international border between the two countries.

The Ministry of Home Affairs report notes that there have been some problems in the construction of fencing in certain stretches on this border. While the river and the chars (silt lands formed in and along the river) pose geographical challenges to erecting fences, sometimes the border population resists fencing as it can create obstacles in accessing their land close to the international border.

What is the protocol for border fencing?

The 1975 Joint India-Bangladesh Guidelines for Border Authorities states that after the identifiable boundary line, whether ‘real’ or ‘working’ has been fixed, neither side will have any permanent or temporary border security forces or any other armed personnel within 150 yards on either side of this line. “No permanent post will be constructed till the final demarcation has been done and the problem is resolved,” the agreement states.

In places where the border population is settled close to the international border and fencing is required within 150 yards, both countries have to mutually agree on it. Recently, disputes have emerged in such areas where the BSF authorities claim that their counterparts — Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) — had agreed on erecting fences but are not honouring the agreements made before August 2024.

Director General of BSF Daljit Singh Chawdhary said even if certain areas are unfenced along the border, it does not necessarily mean that infiltration or other cross-border activities are going on. He pointed out that wherever there are such gaps, technological solutions are used, like flood lights, cameras and drones.

What lies ahead?

There is a push from the Government of India to complete fencing on the remaining stretches. While the political rhetoric of accusing the BSF for lapses in border management by the ruling Trinamool Congress continues in West Bengal, at a policy level the State government agrees that there is a need for the border to be fenced. In January 2025, the West Bengal Cabinet approved the allocation of around 0.9 acres of land in Karimpur to the BSF for setting up fences.

Despite disputes emerging in the Malda Rajshahi and Cooch Behar Lalmonirhat border, border guards of both the countries have exercised restraint and held talks to ease the situation. “Since August 5, 2024, after the unrest in Bangladesh, BSF carried out many SCPs (simultaneous-coordinating patrolling) to keep vigil and held 643 border meetings with BGB,” a press statement by the BSF stated on December 1, 2024. The issue of border fencing is also likely to dominate the Director General-level talks between the BSF and BGB, scheduled to be held from February 16 to 20.

Around 2,500 voters crossed fencing on the India-Bangladesh border to cast their votes in Tripura on April 19.

The barbed wire fencing might have cast a shadow on their lives but none of them want to miss the opportunity to exercise their franchise in the biggest festival of democracy. A substantial number of voters in Tripura for historical reasons, had to stay beyond the barbed wire fencing.

Those who have attained the legal age for voting are now enrolled in the electoral rolls of Tripura. Since morning, the border gates have been opened to facilitate the voting.

Amid heightened security given the polls, Indian citizens, who are sort of cut off from the mainstream, expressed that they have been receiving all kinds of cooperation from the authorities so that they can cast their votes without any hassle.

Speaking to ANI, an Indian citizen Hafizur Rahmanz who lives in the Bangladesh side of the barbed wire fencing said all the 50 voters who live in his village are eager to cast their votes in these elections.

“My name is Hafizur Rahman. I live on the other side of the fence. The situation is quite good. The voting is also proceeding smoothly. There are 19 families consisting of 50 voters. Most of them have cast their votes in the morning and the remaining voters will soon come to cast their votes,” said Rahman.

The voting also coincided with “Jumma.”. “Due to Jumma, some people were busy with religious activities. All of them will certainly come to cast votes,” Rahman told ANI, adding that the border gates stay open when the polling is underway.

The border guarding forces deployed at the border gates verify the photo identification cards of the villagers who have to cross the fence every day. On the voting day as well, there was no exception. In the Jayanagar area, located very close to Agartala city, female BSF personnel have been discharging their duties.

Ful Banu Begam, another resident of the same village that falls under the Ramnagar assembly constituency, said, “The families living in our village have been participating in the election process since morning. We have faced no problems so far. Several people have already voted; others are getting ready to cast their votes. Everything is going on peacefully. We live ahead of the fence. This 80C gate behind me helps us cross the borders.”

According to the Returning Officer West Tripura Parliamentary seat, the total number of voters living ahead of the fence stands at 2,500. All the ahead-of-fence villages fall under the jurisdiction of the West Tripura Parliamentary Constituency.

“The voting turnout is satisfactory and if the trends keep rising at the same pace, the total voting turnout will certainly cross the 80 per cent mark,” said RO West Tripura Dr Vishal Kumar.

He said that around 34 per cent of the voters casted their vote adding that administration and police made rounds to keep a strict vigil on the safety and security of the voters.

On the security measures in bordering areas given the history of violence in the area, he said, “Since Ramnagar is a border-aligned area and it has a history of poll violence, we have made adequate arrangements for security personnel. Teams of administration and police have been making rounds to keep a strict vigil. According to reports received from the polling stations, the voting process is underway smoothly and no untoward incident has occurred so far.”

On the population living ahead of fencing areas, Dr Kumar said, “If you consider the whole Parliamentary Constituency, more than 2,500 voters are residing between the zero line and fencing and most of them are living in Boxanagar. The population there is around 1,600 and all will vote here. We have seen that a large number of voters participated in the polls last year. More than 90 per cent of them cast their votes. We hope the same scenario will be there this year also.”

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)