New fence construction along Bangladesh-India border nearly complete

India and Bangladesh have completed 95 percent of a new single-layer fence along the border between the countries. The move is intended to curb cross-border crime and secure over 250 villages that fall between the international border and barbed wire fencing 150 metres away. Bangladesh shares a 4,096-km border with India. Indian Border Security Force (BSF) Chief K K Sharma confirmed the matter to media on Wednesday. According to a report by The Indian Express, the decision on the new fence was taken by the two sides during the bi-annual director general-level talks between Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) and BSF held in October, 2016. In an interview to PTI, the BSF director general said: “Construction of the project is nearing completion, apart from a few areas along the border, which are riverine. At 95 percent of the places, the new single-row fence has come up. Work is ongoing at a few remaining locations.” “Both the forces (BSF and BGB) are trying to curb crimes across the frontier as much as they can. The Indian side was also trying to ‘bring down’ incidents of border killings on the frontier. Relations between India and Bangladesh and the two border guarding forces are at their best right now. The BSF is committed to ensuring the sanctity of the border and well-being of the population on both the sides,” the BSF chief added. The Indian Express reports that the new fence will affect a total of 285 villages adjacent to the fence. “As the population lives and works here, the fence will have gates for people to cross over to the other side and come back,” Sharma had said after signing the joint agreement with BGB chief Major General Aziz Ahmed in 2016. Meanwhile, speaking on the matter during the bi-annual meeting, the BGB DG had said: “the situation in these villages was very challenging and the forces did not want them to be divided by a fence that would affect the lives of the residents.” The BSF chief also said that both border forces had agreed to deal with the border issues with a humanitarian approach.