The border fence between Bangladesh and India should be removed because it has failed to serve its intended purpose, speakers said in the capital yesterday.
Speaking at a discussion held at Bangla Academy, the speakers said the border fencing has not brought anything better for the two neighbouring countries and the two governments should enact a new and different strategy to secure border and stop transborder crimes.
The event, an international conference titled “Bangladesh-India Cooperation,” was jointly organised by Bangladesh Itihash Sammilani and Centre for East and Northeast Regional Studies – Kolkata (CENRS-K).
The speakers said the border fencing was the result of the mistrust between Bangladesh and India, which stemmed from extremism, as well as illegal cattle trade, arms and drugs smuggling and many other cross-border criminal activities.
However, since the relationship between the two countries have been improving lately, a fence-free border can be achieved with different security measures, such as joint patrolling by the two border security forces, in place.
Security expert Maj Gen Abdur Rashid said: “Shielding the border will not solve border problems. To solve these problems, the two governments should think about enhancing the economic condition of the people living in border areas. A better life means that they will not try to cross the border illegally.”
He further said the two government should define together what is illegal. “It’s time to consider the option of free trade.”
Security analyst Air Commodore (retd) Ishfaq Ilahi Choudhury said Bardhawan blast had proved that boundary is not a problem for militants.
He said to solve the problem, Bangladesh and India governments should enact a common strategy to counter terrorism. They could later include Myanmar and Nepal in their plan to so that the militant groups cannot find shelter in those countries.
Lt Gen JR Mukherjee, president of the CENRS-K, said what the two border security forces were doing was only border guide, not border management.
He said to make the border crime-free, uninterrupted flow of people is necessary at the border.
Beside, the governments should consider a single-window border so that an easy access can be ensured, he said.
Maj Gen Arun Roy, executive director of CENRS-K who also chaired the session, said to make the border secure and stop crimes, trust and cooperation between the two neighbouring countries is a must.
