News Analysis India

Tag: India-Bangladesh border

  • Amit Shah meets Mamata one-to-one, land issues discussed

    By Express News Service

    KOLKATA: Union Home minister Amit Shah met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee one-to-one on the sidelines of Eastern Zonal Council meeting on Saturday where issues like land for Border Security Force (BSF) outposts and railway projects and Bengal government’s dues from the Centre were discussed. The meeting between the two political heavyweights continued for 20 minutes before Shah left for Kolkata airport.

    In the Eastern Zonal Council meeting convened by Shah at Nbanna, the state secretariat, West Bengal CM, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and representatives from Odisha were present. Fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, cross-border smuggling and timely completion of the freight corridor were the agendas discussed in the meeting.

    The one-to-one meeting between Shah and Mamata said to be politically significant at a time when the Bengal government and the Centre were at loggerheads on several occasions over several issues ranging from alleged highhandedness of central agencies against Trinamool Congress leaders and better coordination between the state police and the BSF

    Suvendu Adhikari, BJP leader and the Leader of the Opposition, who came to the airport to see off Shah, said, ‘’I asked Shahji about his meeting the with CM. He told me that lands required for setting up of 72 BSF outposts along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border and better communication between the state police force and the BSF were discussed with her. The Union minister also said that he explained why the India-Bangladesh border is very important for national security.’’

    Adhikari said Shah called him for a meeting along with BJP’s state president in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss ‘’important issues’’.

    Sources at Nabanna said that mort important issue that Shah highlighted in the Council meeting was the fencing of the border between Bengal and Bangladesh. “Of the 2,216 km of the border, 1,638 km is already covered with wired fencing. The Centre is stressing on erecting barbed fencing along another 150 km at the earliest. The rest of the frontier cannot be fenced as the border runs through rivers or has technical problems like the existence of villages within 150 meters from the boundary.”

    The issue of cattle smuggling was also discussed in the council meeting.

    The ruling TMC is facing embarrassment on the issue of cattle smuggling to Bangladesh as the BJP never misses an opportunity to use it as a political tool, and the arrest of TMC strongman Anubrata Mondal by the CBI further pushed Mamata’s party on back foot.

    The council meeting continued for 1 hour 40 minutes from 11 am. After the meet, Mamata requested Shah to visit her chamber on the 14th floor of the state secretariat.

    KOLKATA: Union Home minister Amit Shah met West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee one-to-one on the sidelines of Eastern Zonal Council meeting on Saturday where issues like land for Border Security Force (BSF) outposts and railway projects and Bengal government’s dues from the Centre were discussed. The meeting between the two political heavyweights continued for 20 minutes before Shah left for Kolkata airport.

    In the Eastern Zonal Council meeting convened by Shah at Nbanna, the state secretariat, West Bengal CM, Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren, Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav and representatives from Odisha were present. Fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, cross-border smuggling and timely completion of the freight corridor were the agendas discussed in the meeting.

    The one-to-one meeting between Shah and Mamata said to be politically significant at a time when the Bengal government and the Centre were at loggerheads on several occasions over several issues ranging from alleged highhandedness of central agencies against Trinamool Congress leaders and better coordination between the state police and the BSF

    Suvendu Adhikari, BJP leader and the Leader of the Opposition, who came to the airport to see off Shah, said, ‘’I asked Shahji about his meeting the with CM. He told me that lands required for setting up of 72 BSF outposts along the West Bengal-Bangladesh border and better communication between the state police force and the BSF were discussed with her. The Union minister also said that he explained why the India-Bangladesh border is very important for national security.’’

    Adhikari said Shah called him for a meeting along with BJP’s state president in Delhi on Tuesday to discuss ‘’important issues’’.

    Sources at Nabanna said that mort important issue that Shah highlighted in the Council meeting was the fencing of the border between Bengal and Bangladesh. “Of the 2,216 km of the border, 1,638 km is already covered with wired fencing. The Centre is stressing on erecting barbed fencing along another 150 km at the earliest. The rest of the frontier cannot be fenced as the border runs through rivers or has technical problems like the existence of villages within 150 meters from the boundary.”

    The issue of cattle smuggling was also discussed in the council meeting.

    The ruling TMC is facing embarrassment on the issue of cattle smuggling to Bangladesh as the BJP never misses an opportunity to use it as a political tool, and the arrest of TMC strongman Anubrata Mondal by the CBI further pushed Mamata’s party on back foot.

    The council meeting continued for 1 hour 40 minutes from 11 am. After the meet, Mamata requested Shah to visit her chamber on the 14th floor of the state secretariat.

  • Home Minister Amit Shah to visit Assam on May 9, 10

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: Union Home Minister Amit Shah will tour Assam on Monday and Tuesday during which he will visit the India-Bangladesh border, inaugurate the National Forensic Sciences University and attend the first-anniversary celebration of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government.

    Shah will begin his tour by visiting a Border Out Post (BOP) at Mankachar on Monday and interact with the BSF personnel deployed along the international border, officials said.

    After that, the home minister will inaugurate the BSF’s central store and workshop and launch Khadi and Village Industries products at Tamulpur.

    In the evening, he will inaugurate the census office and an SSB building at Amingaon, near Guwahati.

    Shah will also inaugurate a super speciality hospital and the National Forensic Sciences University in Guwahati.

    On Tuesday, the home minister will inspect the ceremonial parade of the Assam Police, interact and have lunch with officers and jawans of the Assam Police at its headquarters, officials said.

    In the afternoon, he will grace a function organised in Guwahati on the occasion of one year of the Himanta Biswa Sarma government, before laying the foundation of the police commissionerate building in the city.

  • BSF helps Bangladeshi relatives bid adieu to Indian woman who died

    By PTI

    KRISHNAGANJ: The family of Ila Mandal, who died at a border village in West Bengal’s Nadia district, wanted her relatives on the other side of the barbed wires to see her for a last time.

    Her dying wish was fulfilled as BSF arranged to take the body to the Zero Point on the border where her relatives from Bangladesh were waiting for a last glimpse of the 70-year-old woman.

    Mandal, a resident of Matiari village in Krishnaganj police station area, died on Thursday.

    Many of her relatives live in Chuadanga on the other side of the border in Bangladesh.

    Mandal’s family reached out to the border force, requesting permission so that their Bangladeshi relatives manage to pay homage to her body before it is cremated.

    The BSF soon got in touch with the Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB), which arranged for the relatives to visit the Zero Point.

    The BSF helped the family in bringing the body to the spot where they paid their last respect.

    “Besides guarding the border, BSF also stays with the people in their pain and pleasure,” said Desh Raj Singh, the BSF commanding officer of the area.

    Tens of thousands of families were split when India was partitioned in 1947, leading to the creation of East Pakistan — which subsequently became Bangladesh.

    West Bengal shares a 2,217-km-long border with Bangladesh, besides language, culture and culinary habits.

  • Three held by BSF for illegally selling liquor to youths at India-Bangladesh border

    By ANI

    KOLKATA: The Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended three smugglers for illegally selling liquor to youths residing on the India-Bangladesh border, the BSF said in a statement on Tuesday.

    The smugglers were held on Monday with liquor and beer worth Rs 22,382 in the border area of Nadia district, said the BSF.

    “The troops of Border outpost Horandipur of BSF’s 54th Batallion conducted a vehicle checking operation in its responsibility area based on information of Anti-Human Trafficking Unit and apprehended the three smugglers along with various types of liquor and beer,” said the BSF.

    Apprehended smugglers have been identified as Pavitro Ghosh, 24, Swapan Biswas, 33, and Ashim Sarkar, 32– all belong to Nadia district.

    During the probe, Pavitro Ghosh revealed that he is the owner of kajoli wine shop located in Seemanagar and often sells liquor in the border village of Simulia, the BSF said.

    “Today (August 16) Ghosh had come to give this liquor to Ashim Sarkar and Swapan Biswas. Biswas and Sarkar further revealed that they take liquor from Ghosh and sell it illegally in the border area.”

    The apprehended persons along with the seized items have been handed over to the Police Station Bhimpur for further legal proceedings, mentioned the BSF, which is responsible to guard the India-Bangladesh border and control illegal activities there.

    “BSF troops always perform their duty cautiously with full alertness. The troops also keep an eye on the illegal activities taking place in the border area and are continuously arresting the smugglers involved in the sale and purchase of such illegal or contraband goods,” the BSF added.  

  • Bengal STF takes charge of probe of Chinese national arrested from India-Bangladesh border by BSF

    By ANI
    KOLKATA: West Bengal Special Task Force (STF) on Tuesday took the charge of the investigation of the Chinese national, who was apprehended from the India-Bangladesh Border in West Bengal last week.

    On June 10, the BSF had arrested 35-year-old Chinese national, Han Junwe while he was trying to cross the India-Bangladesh international boundary illegally. On being asked to stop, Junwe tried to run away but was chased and caught by BSF personnel.

    He was then taken to the Border Out Post Interrogation and his passport revealed that he had gone to Dhaka, Bangladesh on June 2 on a business visa, where he stayed with a Chinese friend. On June 8, he reached Sona Masjid in Bangladesh’s Chapai Nawabganj district.

    While trying to enter inside the Indian territory on Thursday morning, he was caught by BSF troops.

    “When troops questioned him, he didn’t give a satisfactory reply. Immediately agencies concerned and the local police were informed. Agencies are questioning him,” BSF sources had said.

    According to the BSF statement, during interrogation, Junwe had revealed that he had previously visited India four times– Hyderabad in 2010, and Delhi and Gurugram thrice after 2019. He also said that he has a hotel in Gurugram called ‘Star Spring’.

    He had further said that when he had gone to his hometown of Hubei, one of his business partners, namely Sun Jiang, used to send him 10-15 numbers belonging to Indian mobile phone SIM cards and after a few days, they are received by him and his wife.

    But a few days ago, his business partner was caught by ATS in Lucknow and he mentioned Junwe and his wife. A case was registered against them in ATS Lucknow due to which he was not able to get an Indian visa in China.

    He, however, managed a visa from Bangladesh and Nepal, so that he could come to India.

    BSF had said that a thorough search of the intruder produced one laptop, two mobile phones, one Bangladeshi SIM cars, one Indian SIM card, two Chinese SIM cards, two pen drives, three batteries, two small torch lights, five Money Transaction Machines, two ATM/Master Card, US Dollars, Bangladeshi Taka and Indian currency. 

  • Chinese national held by BSF along India-Bangladesh border in West Bengal

    By PTI
    KOLKATA: A Chinese national was apprehended by the Border Security Force (BSF) along the India-Bangladesh international border in West Bengal on Thursday, officials said.

    The 35-year-old man, dressed in a black sweatshirt, pants and shoes, was “intercepted” by a BSF party around 7 am when he was “infiltrating” into the Indian territory after crossing the border in Malda district, they said.

    A Chinese passport bearing a Bangladeshi visa, a laptop and three mobile phone SIM cards were found on the man who was identified by security officials as Junwei Han.

    He has been kept at the Kaliachak post of the border guarding force, and a BSF spokesperson in Delhi said an “interview of the individual is underway by agencies concerned”.

    Sources said the Chinese man does not probably understand English, and hence, a security officer conversant in the Mandarin language has been called in for a joint questioning session by officials of the BSF, local police and the intelligence agencies.

    Further details and the reasons for his venturing into the Indian side will be known once the session ends, they said.

    Headquartered in Kolkata, the BSF’s South Bengal Frontier guards the India-Bangladesh international border in this area.