Is India-Bangladesh Border Fencing Under Tension?

Since the ouster of Sheikh Hasina from power in Bangladesh, border talks between India and Bangladesh are taking place from February 17th to 20th at the BSF headquarters. This Director General (DG)-level talk will be the 55th such event involving the BSF (Border Security Force) of India and the BGB (Border Guard Bangladesh).

The meeting is crucial as important matters like border fencing, attacks on BSF personnel, and assaults on civilians by Bangladeshi miscreants will be discussed. BSF DG General Daljit Singh will lead the Indian side, while Major General Mohammad Ashrafuzzaman Siddiqui will represent the BGB during the talks.

However, there are certain points to be pondered, as pointed out by Bangladesh’s Home Adviser Lt. Gen. (Retd.) Jahangir Alam Chowdhury. Chowdhury termed the border agreements as uneven and stated that he would seek to scrap some of these “uneven agreements.” His statement came after aggression by the BGB. The Bangladesh border force alleges that the BSF’s actions violate the joint India-Bangladesh guidelines of 1975, which were established to ensure coordination between the two border forces in maintaining peace and controlling crime.

Provisions of the 1975 Guidelines:

One of the provisions of the 1975 guidelines states that neither India nor Bangladesh can construct any defense structure within 150 yards on both sides of the international border (IB). However, in some areas where the population is settled close to the IB, fencing becomes inevitable within 150 yards. In such situations, both countries must mutually agree on it.

This has become a point of contention in recent disputes. The BSF claims that in some such areas, the BGB had agreed to the erection of fences but is now failing to honor agreements made before August 2024.

The BGB is objecting to fence construction work within 150 yards at five locations. The Indian side claims that this was initiated only after following proper protocol. Bangladesh protested by summoning the Indian High Commissioner, while India also took a firm stance by preventing Bangladesh from constructing within 150 yards of the IB.

Honoring the CBMP?

In his latest piece, retired Additional Director General of BSF Sanjiv Krishan, while sharing his experience, wrote about how he once retrieved a ‘busload of civilians’ within a couple of hours by speaking to his Bangladeshi counterpart over the phone. The bus carrying those passengers had mistakenly crossed over to Bangladesh as the driver was unfamiliar with the area. What Mr. Krishan highlighted was the high level of coordination the border forces of both sides once had.

This coordination was made possible through the CBMP (Coordinated Border Management Plan) signed in 2011 by the DGs of BSF and BGB.

The CBMP includes provisions for periodic reviews of crime-prone areas to adjust troop deployment and ensure coordinated patrolling by both sides. It also facilitated enhanced interaction between commanders at various levels, allowing local issues to be resolved quickly. The CBMP has worked well for both nations.

As BSF and BGB engage in talks, can both sides reach an understanding to uphold the CBMP? A discussion on the CBMP is seen as essential for mutual benefit. It remains to be seen whether both sides can arrive at an amicable conclusion by the end of the DG-level talks.